Facts and figures behind Britain’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship

This week’s penultimate round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship will have a distinctly local feel as the home rally for both tyre manufacturer DMACK and its leading WRC crew. Elfyn Evans and Dan Barritt will tackle Dayinsure Wales Rally GB for the M-Sport World Rally Team using DMACK’s latest DMG+22 gravel tyres, as the M-Sport squad aims to seal the WRC manufacturer title.

In theory, Kris Meeke arrives home for next weekend’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (26-29 October) on the crest of a wave after winning the previous round of this year’s pulsating FIA World Rally Championship earlier this month in Spain. But, in reality, this has been an erratic campaign for the 38-year-old Ulsterman from Dungannon who started the year as one of the title favourites.

Wales’s most successful rally driver, David Llewellin, is tipping his fellow countryman Elfyn Evans for great success – and even an historic victory – on this month’s eagerly-awaited Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (26-29 October). Although a number of Welsh co-drivers have won Britain’s classic round of the FIA World Rally Championship, no Welsh driver has ever stood on the podium let alone won their home event.

Last weekend’s Rally of Spain, round 11 of the pulsating 2017 FIA World Rally Championship, acted as a perfect aperitif for the eagerly-awaited Dayinsure Wales Rally GB on October 26-29. It is a mouthwatering prospect, too, not least as the iconic Welsh-based event has attracted a hitherto unrivalled number of new-era WRC cars.

Elfyn Evans moved within a point of a top five place in the World Rally Championship after bagging his best result in Spain. The Dolgellau born driver admitted he had a tough time getting the best from his tyres on the challenging mixed-surface in Rally Catalunya.

Elfyn Evans hopes to put his pain in Spain behind him as he targets a top five spot in the World Rally Championship. The Dolgellau-born driver has competed in the event four times previously but his best result is 14th in 2014.

Elfyn Evans was happy with his sixth place at Rally Deutschland but knows it could have been even better. The Dolgellau-born driver was battling for fourth at one stage with rivals Juho Hanninen and Craig Breen, but was hit by traction issues.

Elfyn Evans is looking to bounce back in Poland after his Rally Italy hopes were ended early in Sardinia. The Dolgellau-born racer had started well finishing just 0.5secs off the pace on the opening stage.

As Wales declares 2017 as its ‘Year of Legends’, few events will epitomise that status better than Dayinsure Wales Rally GB (26-29 October), Britain’s revered round of the FIA World Rally Championship. Indeed, this autumn’s eagerly-anticipated event is all set to be one of the most exciting, appealing and unmissable in the rally’s long-running history as today’s unveiling of the competitive route shows.

Elfyn Evans bagged his best result at Rally Portugal – but reckons it could have been even better. The Dolgellau flier finished sixth with co-driver Daniel Barritt with his pace close to adding more fastest stage times this season.

Elfyn Evans agonisingly missed out on his maiden World Rally Championship victory in Argentina in one of the closest finishes in history The Dolgellau driver lost out by just 0.7 seconds to Belgium’s Thierry Neuville having dominated the event virtually from the start.