Elfyn Evans arrives at Rally Chile as the WRC championship leader—and with plenty of reasons to stay cautious. A five-time runner-up, often losing out at the final hurdle, his path now looks clearer after Sebastien Ogier's retirement from this season's title fight following retirements in Finland and Paraguay.
But the surprise comes from within his own team: Sami Pajari. Three consecutive wins have brought the young Finn to within just 20 points. The gap is still comfortable, yet Evans knows he cannot afford to relax in the remaining rounds.
He expects Rally Chile to be another tough test, as he will again have to sweep the road from first in the starting order. Dry conditions mean loose gravel for early runners and extremely abrasive surfaces that demand careful tyre management. “When it's dry, the surface can be very loose for the early cars, and it can also get extremely abrasive to the point that you really have to consider tyre management carefully,” Evans said.
“When it's wet, it can get pretty muddy, similar to what you might find in Wales, and the fog can also make things extremely difficult,” he added. Weather will be a decisive factor. In dry conditions, there are unlikely to be major surprises, but if rain appears, everything can change. Evans aims to maximize his points haul rather than chase victory at all costs.
Consistency has been his strength this season; he has yet to leave an event without scoring. “After Paraguay we know that we can look forward to a similarly warm welcome from the fans in Chile. The rally is generally quite a fast one with flowing stages that are usually good to drive, but the challenge depends a lot on the weather which can change quite dramatically during the weekend,” he said.
Elfyn Evans begins Rally Chile this weekend. Sixteen special stages await, covering over 310 kilometers. Can he hold off Sami Pajari and edge closer to the title? Stay tuned.
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