At the end of a wild rally in Sardinia this October 4, the Welshman drove his Toyota Gazoo to his first World Rally Championship title. Having come agonisingly close to the ultimate prize on five previous occasions, he nearly fell victim once again to an exceptional comeback from Oliver Solberg. But that was without reckoning on a dramatic turn of events, which saw the Swede crash out in the final corners of the stage.
Elfyn Evans could hardly believe it, but fortune finally favored him: « I can’t quite wrap my head around it. I really thought it was lost, even though I had given it everything. » The 37-year-old Welshman can breathe a sigh of relief. After enduring his fair share of heartbreak in recent years, he secures his maiden WRC title alongside his British co-driver, Scott Martin. He becomes the first Welsh driver in history to reach the pinnacle of world rallying, while simultaneously ending a drought of more than two decades for British drivers.
Solberg on the brink of glory, before the crash
Trailing by 21 points heading into this final round in Sardinia, the Swedish driver, Evans’s Toyota teammate, managed to bridge the gap across the 16 special stages held on the island. As they lined up for the final « Power Stage », offering bonus points to the top five finishers, just a single point separated the two rivals. The math was simple : whichever of the two set the faster time at Argentiera would take home the World Championship.
To add even more suspense and drama to this season finale, Solberg was starting last. Ahead of Evans at every split time, the Swede held all the cards to secure top spot on the podium. But in the penultimate corner of the stage, disaster struck ! The Toyota driver, usually so dependable of late, misjudged the hairpin and crashed into the scenery, watching all his championship hopes vanish. Elfyn Evans was left speechless in front of the screen: he was indeed World Champion.
End of the curse for the « eternal runner-up »
A five-time world vice-champion over the last six years, Elfyn Evans spent a long time chasing the crown without ever reaching it. He carried that burden, the tag of the « eternal runner-up », right up until his triumph on October 4. It was a nickname that masked a series of painful heartbreaks for the driver: starting with Monza in 2020, where a slide on melting snow just one stage from the end of the championship cost him the title to Sébastien Ogier, and again last year in 2025 against that same Sébastien Ogier, where he missed out by a mere four points to the nine-time WRC winner.
It is a true redemption for the Dolgellau native, who admitted to « not having been consistent this season, » but insisted that « it will serve well for the future. » For now, the sport looks ahead to 2027, when new simplified regulations are set to come into force, marking the end of the Rally1 era with the goal of attracting more manufacturers.
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