Elfyn Evans admitted he is relieved to still be leading the World Rally Championship (WRC) standings ahead of the penultimate round in Sardinia next month. The Welshman was convinced he would have lost the top spot after a series of dry gravel rallies where he had to open the road.
Evans has led the championship since April's Rally Islas Canarias and now holds a 17-point advantage over Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier and 21 points over Oliver Solberg. However, he is well aware of the huge risk if he has to run first on the rough roads around Jeddah in the final round in Saudi Arabia.
“I was expecting to lose the lead of the championship by now, to be honest,” Evans told DirtFish. “After opening the road for so many rallies, in my mind it was quite clear that was going to happen. But somehow we’ve hung on and hung on, I just hope it doesn’t come to bite us just at the end.”
At Rally Saudi Arabia last year, Evans and Ogier started first and second, and both struggled. Ogier finished sixth, while Evans had to settle for eighth after stopping to change a puncture, effectively ending his hopes of a maiden world title. Ogier went on to claim a ninth championship, but finished over a minute behind winner Thierry Neuville, who started fifth on the opening day.
When asked about the possibility of sacrificing points to avoid running first in Saudi Arabia, Evans admitted he has never been a fan of the idea. “It’s a difficult call. I’ve never been a fan of deliberately not scoring points. You never know what happens. But obviously, having seen how bad the road cleaning was there last year, I think you’d be stupid not to consider it if the opportunity came. But I think for now it’ll just be to do the best job possible in Sardinia,” he explained.
Evans had enjoyed a 30-point lead after Secto Rally Finland, but he knew the following dry gravel rallies could be a threat. “I was expecting to lose the lead, but somehow we’ve hung on. Now the gap is 17 points, and it’s all open. It’s a full three-way fight,” he added.
With three drivers still in close contention, Evans must remain vigilant. He is determined to stay consistent and not be affected by the pressure. “We’re going to have to continue with the same rhythm, same strategy. It’s all open,” he concluded.
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