The intense battle in the World Rally Championship (WRC) season delivered unforgettable drama during the dramatic season finale at Rally Italy Sardinia. Thierry Neuville admitted he felt a profound sense of relief when Elfyn Evans successfully secured his maiden world title following a nail-biting showdown.
The championship battle came down to a fierce winner-takes-all clash between Evans and his Toyota teammate, Oliver Solberg. Entering the final powerstage level on points, Solberg held a 1.9-second advantage at the final split before crashing out within sight of the finish line, handing the championship to Evans by a five-point margin.
All Rally1 crews watched the tense moments unfold live alongside Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, including Neuville—who, like Evans, finished second in the championship five times before claiming his own crown. Speaking to DirtFish, Neuville shared his honest perspective on the dramatic conclusion.
"I don't know, somehow I was feeling like something wasn't correct when I saw Oliver was going faster than Elfyn and I start to realize that actually Elfyn is the one who really deserves that victory," Neuville told DirtFish. "Obviously his family was there, the children, the wife, the parents, so I don't know there was a little bit of a relief when we saw that Elfyn won the championship."
Despite his joy for Evans, the Belgian driver expressed sympathy for Solberg, acknowledging the young contender's aggressive and brave charge throughout the demanding weekend.
"On the other hand, I'm obviously very disappointed for Oliver as well. He was all in this weekend and it nearly paid. So well done to him as well for putting the foot on the floor and going as hard as he could," Neuville added.
Reflecting on the heavy handicap Evans faced by opening the road on gravel rallies and his previous near-misses, Neuville emphasized that the championship was thoroughly deserved after years of heartbreak and misfortune.
"Yeah, I mean, he lost it last year on a puncture and he nearly lost it this year on the puncture again. I mean, he has been many times so close. I know how it feels to be that close and losing out on just a few details. So he definitely deserved this year's title," he concluded.
Universal praise followed from across the service park, with Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda also confessing that he had been privately rooting for Evans to finally break his championship curse after years of coming agonizingly close.
Baca Juga
Thierry Neuville ungkap rasa lega saat Elfyn Evans pastikan gelar juara WRC 2026 usai drama menegangkan di Sardinia.
Sami Pajari beralih dari WRC ke reli klasik Finlandia mengendarai Toyota Corolla GT demi bersenang-senang bersama rekan sesama pereli.
Tom Fowler ungkap pelajaran krusial bagi Elfyn Evans dan Oliver Solberg usai duel sengit penentuan gelar juara dunia WRC di Rally Italia Sardinia.
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