Elfyn Evans suffered a crushing blow at Rally Chile when a puncture on SS15 dashed his hopes of a second-place finish. The Toyota driver had been running strong, holding a 6.3-second cushion over a charging Sebastien Ogier.
But 11.5km into the stage, his GR Yaris pulled up, and the crew scrambled to change a left front tyre. The stop cost him 2 minutes and 14.8 seconds, along with his second overall and the Super Sunday lead.
“No idea where I picked up the puncture, but is that any surprise?” said a clearly frustrated Evans. His words reflected the brutal nature of Chile's gravel roads, notorious for their rocky, unforgiving surface.
The time loss dropped Evans to fifth, 48.5 seconds behind title rival Sami Pajari. He now faces an uphill battle to salvage points in the Wolf Power Stage.
Meanwhile, Oliver Solberg commanded the rally on Saturday, with Evans clinging to second by a thread. But the SS15 drama reshuffled the order, handing Ogier and others a golden opportunity.
Rally Chile is renowned as one of the toughest events on the WRC calendar. Its rough gravel and large stones often catch out even the most experienced crews. Evans is not the first to fall victim, but the timing could not be worse for his championship aspirations.
With this setback, the pressure mounts on Evans to bounce back in the remaining rounds. He must stay focused and seize every opportunity. The Wolf Power Stage now represents his last chance to rescue a weekend that has turned into a rollercoaster of emotions.
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