Elfyn Evans wins WRC crown after last-stage Sardinia drama
Words: Kyle Cassidy
Elfyn Evans has claimed his first World Rally Championship title after a dramatic Sardinia finale in which Toyota teammate Oliver Solberg lost his chance at the crown just two corners from the end of the final stage.
The Welshman finished fifth in the rally but emerged as champion when Solberg ran wide and slid down a bank during the Power Stage. The Swede recovered to complete the stage and still won the event, but missed the bonus points that would have secured the title.
Evans, partnered by co-driver Scott Martin, ended the season on 243 points, five clear of Solberg and six ahead of fellow Toyota driver Sami Pajari.
For Evans, 37, the breakthrough follows five runner-up finishes in the previous six seasons. He becomes Britain’s first WRC champion since Richard Burns in 2001, joining Burns and 1995 champion Colin McRae as the country’s only winners of the drivers’ crown.
The championship had appeared to be slipping away from Evans during the closing stages. He arrived in Sardinia with a 17-point advantage over Pajari and a 21-point lead over Solberg, but the Swede took control of the rally on Saturday and began the final day 33.6 seconds ahead of the field.
Evans then lost time changing a wheel on the penultimate stage, leaving the title fight to be settled by the pair’s finishing order on the final test.
Having completed his run first, Evans could only wait as Solberg charged towards the finish. The 25-year-old, son of 2003 world champion Petter Solberg, was on course to take the championship before his late mistake changed the outcome.
“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,” Evans said.
“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,” he added.
The season also marked Hayden Paddon’s return to the WRC’s top category with Hyundai. The New Zealander competed on a part-time programme alongside long-time co-driver John Kennard, sharing Hyundai Motorsport’s third i20 N Rally1 with Dani Sordo and Esapekka Lappi.
Their role was to support full-season Hyundai drivers Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux and contribute manufacturers’ points. Paddon and Kennard delivered two podium finishes: third in Croatia and second in Paraguay, where they led the rally for three stages.
Sardinia became the season finale after the scheduled Saudi Arabian round was cancelled because of conflict in the region. Toyota had already secured the manufacturers’ championship, with Evans’ success completing its title double ahead of new technical regulations in 2027.
