By Paul Evans It might not be the result that Elfyn Evans wanted, but there are plenty of positives for the Welsh driver to take away from the 2022 Monte Carlo Rally. Having finished third in 2020 and second in 2021, he can’t shy away from the disappointment of coming home 21st this time. But […]

Right, then. Here we go. The start of what will be a World Rally Championship winning year for Elfyn Evans. Hopefull For the first time in the sport’s history, a Welsh driver will begin the new season as favourite for the world rally title. Evans has finished runner-up for the last two seasons and the driver who has beaten him both times – eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier – isn’t doing a full season.

By Paul Evans Elfyn Evans says that he is more hungry than ever to clinch his first World Rally Championship title after finishing runner-up in the drivers’ standings two years in a row. He had an outside chance of lifting the title on last weekend’s Rally Monza, but for a second time in as many years the Italian event saw his Toyota team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia lift the title – for an eighth time.

Whilst the odds might not favour Elfyn Evans becoming world rally champion in Italy this weekend, over in Northern Ireland a Welshman is guaranteed to lift the British Rally Championship title on Saturday night as Osian Pryce and Matt Edwards go head-to-head in the season’s title decider. Pryce arrives the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally final showdown with an eight-point lead and can only miss out on his first British title if Edwards doesn’t score maximum points. Pryce (co-driven by Irishman Noel O’Sullivan) is the only driver to have finished on the podium in all six rallies this year, including winning last time out on the Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally and a maximum bonus BRC Joker points score on Mull.

It ain’t over till the fat lady delivers her final aria in northern Italy, according to Elfyn Evans and his pursuit of a first World Rally Championshp. The odds may be stacked against him becoming the first Welsh world champion, but it won’t be for lack of ambition this weekend, as he tells Paul Evans. By his own admission, becoming world rally champion this year is a bit of a long shot – but that’s not going to stop Elfyn Evans trying as he heads to the final round of the series in Italy this week. Evans had a better chance of securing his first title last year, when he arrived at Rally Monza with a 14-point advantage at the top of the leaderboard.

Elfyn Evans has kept his hopes of becoming World Rally champion title alive by finishing second on Rally Spain. Evans took an 18 point lead into the final Rally Monzalast year, but crashed out and handed the title to Sébastien Ogier.

Welsh hopes for securing a World Rally Championship crown will either have skidded off the road this weekend or still be firmly on track. Elfyn Evans needs points from the Rally of Spain and for his great rival Sebastien Ogier to be denied, as Paul Evans reports. Elfyn Evans is still capable of pulling off a minor miracle to become World Rally champion, according to Nicky Grist. Evans, from Dollgellau, has it all to do as he heads for the start line in Spain for the Rally de España on 14-17 October.

Elfyn Evans stormed to victory at Secto Automotive Rally Finland on Sunday afternoon to keep alive his hopes of a maiden FIA World Rally Championship title.

Elfyn Evans made an astonishing comeback on the Acropolis Rally, but the gearbox problems that prevented him from challenging for victory in Greece have all-but ended his chances of becoming world rally champion this year. The Dolgellau ace was flying in his Toyota Yaris WRC over the opening two stages of the event and was lying in third place, just 1.7 seconds behind the leader, when his problems hit.

Elfyn Evans finished a frustrated fifth on Rally Estonia – but at least with Sébastien Ogier only finishing one place ahead of him, the result has not cost him much in the battle for the FIA World Rally Championship title. Evans started the event lying second in the drivers’ standings, 34 points behind series leader Ogier – and he remains second, 37 points behind. Neither of them could match the pace of their Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanperä, who became – at 20 years and 290 days old – the youngest driver to win a round of the WRC.

By Paul Evans  Elfyn Evans hopes that his 100th start in the FIA World Rally Championship will be one to celebrate – and he certainly needs a good result on this weekend’s Rally Estonia to keep his title aspirations on track. Having won one rally (Portugal) and finished second three times (Monte Carlo, Arctic and Sardinia) on the opening five events, Evans is, as he did last year, right up there challenging for the world title.

Elfyn Evans picked up four precious points as he recovered to finish 10th on the Safari Rally. But the Dolgellau-born racer still saw his WRC title hopes take a big hit as Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Sebastien Ogier claimed his second win in a row.