Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin won their first FIA World Rally Championship title in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, as rival Oliver Solberg crashed out of the lead within sight of the finish at Rally Italia Sardegna. The Welshman became the first British champion since Richard Burns in 2001, ending a career-long wait after five runner-up finishes.
A title lost in the sand
Solberg seized the rally lead on Saturday, applying relentless pressure while Evans struggled with loose road conditions and fell to fifth.
A front-right puncture on the penultimate test forced Evans to stop and change the wheel, reducing the title fight to a straight shootout on the Wolf Power Stage.
Running first of the contenders, Evans felt he had over-driven the rutted test and effectively conceded defeat. Last on the road, Solberg attacked and was 1.9 seconds quicker with barely half a mile remaining. Then, on a medium-speed left-hander roughly a hundred metres from the finish, the Swede slid wide into the sand and bushes.
Five near-misses, one crown
Solberg recovered to win the rally by 57.6 seconds from Sébastien Ogier, but the time lost handed Evans the drivers' title. Evans had twice before led the standings into a WRC season finale and come away empty-handed, often forced to act as road sweeper while his advantage dissolved.
"I don't think it's quite sunk in yet," Evans told reporters afterwards. "I was quite sure that it was over. I didn't drive the best stage. I threw everything at it, but it wasn't clean." The 37-year-old becomes the third British drivers' champion, following Colin McRae in 1995 and Burns.
The title was decided on the last stage of the last rally of the Rally1 era. After a decade of near-misses, Evans finally had his name etched into the record books.
