The first stage already showed that at least five crews were serious contenders for the overall victory. However, each subsequent kilometer brought new twists to this thrilling race. In the second stage, Ralfs Sirmacis’ car experienced a axle shaft issue, significantly slowing him down and eliminating him from the fight for victory. In the third stage, Miks Ķenavs suffered a severe crash due to technical failure.
In the next two stages, Jānis Vorobjovs posted the best results, rapidly closing the gap to Emīls Blūms and adding even more intrigue to the race’s outcome. In the final stage, the biggest surprise of the rally, Mārtiņš Ķikusts, who had been breathing down the leaders' necks throughout the race, was forced to withdraw due to a driveshaft failure. His retirement allowed Estonian driver Kaspar Kasari to move up to third place.
Everyone held their breath to see if Vorobjovs would be fast enough to overtake Blūms, but he crossed the finish line with a broken wheel rim, securing second place overall. After the finish, Emīls Blūms admitted that his victory had been hanging by a thread:
"We didn't put on fresh tires for the second lap, and our center differential started failing, causing issues in the faster sections of the track. At that point, it was crucial to stay calm and make it to the finish. Of course, it's always easier to chase than to defend the lead. I'm happy we managed to finish and that, after such a long break, it was our crew that took the victory. A huge thanks to the organizers for making this an incredible event, and special appreciation to the Sniedzāns family."
It’s worth noting that, unexpectedly, the winners’ trophy was presented to Emīls Blūms and Didzis Eglītis by Ivars Vasaraudzis, who had won Rally Sarma four times himself and was the last Latvian to claim victory in the overall standings fifteen years ago.
In the two-wheel-drive class, Estonian Markus Tammoja dominated, winning every stage and finishing sixth overall. Second place in this class went to Dans Leščs, who overtook Jānis Cielēns in the final stage, marking a strong comeback after years away from rallying.
In the historic rally car classification, Kristaps Dzīvītis claimed victory, showcasing impressive speed in his classic Audi. Also stepping onto the podium were the crews of Māris Erts and Intars Rezakovs.
The biggest novelty of Rally Sarma 2025 was the buggy class, which joined the main rally for the first time. This time, one crew from each Baltic country participated. Unfortunately, the Lithuanian crew retired in the first stage after crashing into a tree. The remaining two crews engaged in a tight battle, splitting the stage victories. However, the 17 seconds lost in the first stage prevented Latvian driver Rolands Puravs from catching Estonian Tomas Veski, who secured the win by just 4.9 seconds.
Full results for rally "Sarma 2025" can be found on the Latvian Rally Championship website autorally.lv.
