WRC

Evans Clinches WRC title after Sardinia drama

Welshman Elfyn Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin secured their first World Rally Championship (WRC) title today, successfully defending their lead over Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson in a dramatic finish to the Rally Italia in Sardinia.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing crew survived one last twist on Sunday to finally secure the crown after years of near-misses, while Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson won the rally following a superb weekend in their GR Yaris Rally1.

Evans entered the final Wolf Power Stage knowing his championship battle with Solberg had effectively become a straight fight. That scenario had been created on the preceding Osilo – Tergu test, where Evans suffered a front-right puncture and stopped to change the wheel. It was his second costly penultimate-stage puncture in as many rallies after a similar setback in Chile.

With Super Sunday points gone, Evans and Solberg arrived at the 7.10km Sassari – Argentiera finale separated by the smallest of margins in the title race.

Evans completed his run first. Solberg then attacked and was 1.9sec ahead of the Welshman’s time with little more than one kilometre remaining.

The championship was decided in the final kilometers of the season. Heading into the concluding "Sassari – Argentiera" special stage—spanning 7.10 kilometers—Evans held a slender lead in the title race, having previously suffered a front-right tire puncture that forced him to stop and change the wheel.

Evans, driving for Toyota, was the first to complete the final stage. Solberg launched an attack and, with just over a kilometer remaining, held a 1.9-second advantage over the Welshman. However, a few corners from the finish, Solberg slid off the track and into the sand. Although he managed to rejoin and complete the stage, the time lost was enough for Evans and Martin to clinch the world title.

"I don't think it has fully sunk in yet what happened. I was pretty sure it was over. It wasn't my best run; I gave it my all, but it wasn't a clean drive. I feel for Oliver, too—he had an incredible weekend, and it’s a shame he lost the title so close to the finish," said Evans, as reported by wrc.com. Evans had previously finished the season as world runner-up five times, and twice he entered the final race as the championship leader. He spent much of this season at the top of the standings, though his lead began to shrink during the second half of the year.

"This was a season that required a lot of resilience. We kept believing and fighting right to the very end," Elfyn noted.

Evans became the first British driver to win the WRC title since Richard Burns in 2001.

Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson won Rally Italia Sardegna, finishing 57.6 seconds ahead of Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais. Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen took third place, allowing Toyota to sweep the podium.

Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria finished fourth, ahead of Evans and Martin, while Takamoto Katsuta and Jon Armstrong were also among the leading crews.

The Welshman had been championship runner-up five times in the last six years but emerged triumphant after a final Powerstage duel with teammate Oliver Solberg ended with the charging Swede crashing out two corners from the finish while on course to take the crown.

Solberg, 25, ran wide and careered down a bank before getting the car back on the road. He still won the rally but lost the crucial bonus points on offer for the top five in the final stage.

Evans, with co-driver Scott Martin at his side, became ‌the first British world rally champion since ⁠Englishman Richard Burns in 2001 and only the third since Scottish driver Colin McRae became the nation's first in 1995.

Sweden's Solberg, son of Norway's 2003 champion Petter, ended the season as runner-up. The final standings left Evans on 243 points, Solberg on 238 and Sami Pajari on 237 in what was also the end of an era for the ‌sport with new regulations in force next year.

"It hasn't sunk in. I was sure it was over. I didn't drive the best stage but threw everything at it ⁠but it wasn't clean. I feel for Oliver. He had an incredible weekend," said Evans, who completed his ‌final run first and had to watch and wait to see whether he had done ⁠enough to ‌take the title.

"I don't really know what my reaction is, it's surreal with how it happened. It's a relief. It wouldn't be my proudest way of winning it, but it's job done," added the 37-year-old, who finished fifth in the gravel rally.

Evans had started the rally -- ⁠the final round after Saudi Arabia's finale was cancelled due to conflict in the region - 17 points clear of Finland's ⁠Pajari, also in a Toyota, and 21 clear of Solberg.

The Swede took control of the rally on Saturday, knowing he had nothing to lose and all to gain, and started the final day 33.6 seconds clear of the field and the momentum swinging his way.

That feeling was reinforced when Evans lost time changing a wheel on Sunday's penultimate stage, leaving the championship outcome hanging on the short final stage and the title going to which ‌of the pair finished ahead of the other. Toyota had already won the manufacturers' championship.

Ireland's Jon Armstrong finished seventh on Sunday, while Derry native Joshua McErlean was 20th. The latter is ninth in the championship standings as a result, while Fermanagh's Armstrong is 12th.

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