The eight-time world champion's triumph capped an extraordinary comeback week that began with him dropping almost 40 seconds to a tyre deflation on Friday but ended with both the rally victory and a surge to within nine points of championship leader Elfyn Evans.

Ogier's 18th triumph for Toyota also makes him the Japanese manufacturer's most successful driver ever – a record he previously shared with Kalle Rovanperä.

However, the Frenchman's mood was tempered by frustration with his Wolf Power Stage performance, where he encountered heavy rain while others enjoyed clearer weather.

“I think we can be very proud of the performance Vincent [Landais, co-driver] and I did this weekend. The points don’t really show it right now, that’s the only negative part, but it’s still a win and that’s the most important thing,” said Ogier, who managed only 10th fastest on the bonus points-paying final test.

“South America has never really been [home to] my most lucky rounds. The only rally I never won was Argentina back then, and in Chile we also had some bad luck like last year. It’s good to finally be on the top step of the podium in front of an amazing atmosphere. It was a big success for the first time here,” he added.

The Wolf Power Stage provided the weekend's cruelest twist for Adrien Fourmaux, who saw a podium result slip through his fingers. The Hyundai i20 N Rally1 driver had been on course for a career-best result after running second for most of the weekend, only to drop to fourth with a disappointing eighth-fastest time when it mattered most.

Evans edged Thierry Neuville by a second to take the runner-up spot and extend his championship lead, which stood at just three points prior to this 10th round of the season. Neuville was the Power Stage hero, however, claiming the fastest time to vault onto the final podium spot and finish 1.3sec clear of disappointed Hyundai i20 N Rally1 team-mate Fourmaux.

Ott Tänak brought his Hyundai home just 2.1sec behind Fourmaux in fifth while two-time champion Kalle Rovanperä could only manage sixth after a puncture on Saturday destroyed his victory hopes. The Finn now sits level on 189 points with team-mate Ogier in the title fight.

Sami Pajari placed seventh in another Toyota while Oliver Solberg claimed WRC2 victory after a dominant weekend that saw him climb from 10th to first in the category over the course of three days. Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin filled out the remaining top 10 positions.

Toyota's 102nd victory equals Citroën's record as the most successful manufacturer in WRC history. The Japanese marque has now won nine of the season's ten completed rallies in a dominant 2025 campaign.

The WRC’s South American adventure continues in less than a fortnight when the championship visits Concepción for Rally Chile Bio Bío. The gravel fixture takes place from 11 – 14 September.