Elfyn Evans says that he will be pushing hard for a top result on this weekend’s Rally Portugal – and he needs to if he wants to be world champion this year, as whilst he’s fifth in drivers’ points table, the top three are pulling away. As the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship reaches its halfway point, Evans, the topped-placed M-Sport Ford driver, has scored 55 points, one less than fourth-placed Kris Meeke (Toyota). That sounds pretty impressive until you see that series leader Sébastien Ogier (Citroen) has 122 points, second-placed Ott Tänak (Toyota) sits on 112 points and third-placed Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) has amassed 110 points already. And the top three have each won two rallies apiece.

For the first time in recent history, Wales Rally GB (October 3-6) will kick off over the English border with its showpiece Ceremonial Start relocating into Liverpool’s iconic Waterfront. Another new addition follows swiftly with an early evening opening special stage set at Oulton Park, the well-known race circuit situated in rolling parkland close to Chester.

Elfyn Evans finished in fourth place at what turned out to be a very difficult and challenging Rally Chile. Having set some good times on this new event, Evans was too far off third place to challenge for a podium position, so made sure he and co-driver Scott Martin made no mistakes on the final day to reach the finish and bag some valuable points. The M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC driver remains fifth in the FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ standings, but has closed to within just one point of fourth placed Kris Meeke (Toyota). The top three drivers – Ott Tänak (Toyota), Sébastien Ogier (Citroen) and Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) – are pulling away from the rest of the field.

Elfyn Evans will start today’s final leg of Rally Chile in fourth place, although with a big gap ahead and behind him, he might need someone to hit bad luck if he is to move up any more. Evans and co-driver Scott Martin made another good start on day two in their M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC, setting the third fastest time on the opening speed test and taking time out of nine-time World Champion Sébastien Loeb. As the day wore on the Dolgellau driver struggled to match Loeb on certain sections, but despite falling adrift of the fight at the front, Evans delivered a clean and conscientious drive.

Elfyn Evans made a great start to Rally Chile, but had dropped from third to seventh place by the end of the opening day of the new FIA World Rally Championship event. Co-driven by Scott Martin, the M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC driver – like many of his rivals – struggled to find a confident rhythm in the wet and slippery gravel conditions, with the day’s penultimate stage in particular costing Evans a lot of time. Because of this, what could have been fifth place became seventh, as the Dolgellau ace fell behind Kris Meeke (Toyota) and Sébastien Loeb (Hyundai).

This weekend’s Rally Chile might be a brand new event for the FIA World Rally Championship, but Elfyn Evans reckons the stages are not too dissimilar to Wales Rally GB, as he aims to get his title bid back on track after crashing out in neighbouring Argentina. The break between the two South American rounds was never going to be a holiday for the M-Sport team, although the mechanics had more work than they’d hoped for when they had to rebuild Evans’ EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC, after it hit a massive boulder and rolled out of Rally Argentina. Chile, the 32nd country to host a round of the WRC, will be a level playing field for competitors, as everyone will have the same amount of experience of the event – zero!

Elfyn Evans has crashed out of Rally Argentina, after hitting a massive rock on the inside of a corner and damaging the chassis and transmission on his Ford Fiesta WRC. It’s not possible for the car to be repaired for Evans to return tomorrow under the Rally 2 rules, but the M-Sport team will repair the car in readiness for Rally Chile, which follows straight after this event. Evans was in sixth place starting Saturday’s second stage (SS10), just 5.7 seconds behind Andreas Mikkelsen, when he came into a corner too fast, hit a boulder and rolled.

Elfyn Evans confessed that sixth place is not where he wanted to be at the end of a very wet and muddy opening day on Rally Argentina – but while the M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC driver is down in sixth place, he is only 38.2 seconds off the lead and 24.8 seconds off a podium place. The Argentine stages are challenging at the best of times, but heavy thunderstorms in the lead up to the rally made them even more demanding on Friday – with deep water splashes and treacherously slippery conditions making the balance between speed and survival a key part of the game. Those with the confidence to push through the challenging conditions were able to reap the rewards, and those who drove with an air of caution suffered as a result.

Can Elfyn Evans clinch victory in Argentina this weekend, two years after missing out on winning there by one of the smallest margins ever recorded in the history of FIA World Rally Championship? The 30-year old Dolgellau ace clipped a bridge on the final stage in 2017, and that loss of momentum was enough to drop him behind Thierry Neuville at the finish line – by just 0.7 seconds, after over three and a half hours of flat-out competition. Evans bounced back to record his first WRC win on Wales Rally GB later that year – although that remains his one and only victory so far.

Wales’ first closed road stage rally will take place on Sunday 8 September, after the Get Connected Rali Bae Ceredigion was officially unveiled. Four motor clubs – Newtown and District Automobile Club, Aberystwyth and District Motor Club, Lampeter and District Motor Club and Teifi Valley Motor Club – have come together to organise this brand new landmark event. The rally route has been carefully chosen to provide a selection of top quality asphalt roads that, because of their character, are enjoyable yet challenging to drive. Besides using a selection of roads that will greatly appeal to competitors, organisers have planned a route that will showcase the stunning natural beauty of the area. Care has also been taken to ensure that the road closures cause minimal disruption to local residents, businesses and other road users.

Elfyn Evans’ boss reckons the Welsh rally ace now knows he can fight for victory on all surfaces despite his Rally Corsica agony. The Dolgellau-born speedster was romping to his second career victory in the World Rally Championship until a final stage puncture relegated him and new co-driver Scott Martin to third.

Elfyn Evans suffered World Rally Championship heartache as he missed out on victory at the Tour de Corse with a puncture on the final stage. The Dolgellau-born river was powering to his second career win when he suffered the tyre issue on the final speed test that dropped him to third.