Monday 5th October

Elfyn Evans clinches 2026 WRC championship 

25 years since the last, there's another British WRC champ - bring on the GR Yaris special

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What a couple of weeks it’s been for world rallying. No sooner has it been confirmed that the BBC will show live rallying from next year that Ford announced it would return to the top tier for the first time in more than a decade and a half. Now there’s another British world rally champion for the first time in a quarter of a century after Elfyn Evans took the title at the Rally Italia Sardegna. Not since the late Richard Burns in 2001 has there been a Brit on top of world rallying, and alongside Colin, Evans is only the third in history. It’s nice to have someone not called Sebastien win, in truth. 

It’s been a long time coming for Gazoo Racing's Welshman, having been runner-up in 2020 and 2021 to Seb Ogier, in 2023 to Kalle Rovanpera, 2024 to Thierry Neuville and last year to Ogier as well. All in Yarises bar Neuville, notably. And running some of the best there’s been so close is no mean feat in itself; it’ll surely make finally getting the job done all the sweeter. 

It happened in dramatic fashion, too, even for a WRC finale. The title was all set to be Oli Solberg’s, as he was on course to take a 35-point haul from Sardinia and reel in his teammate - who started the weekend with a 21-point advantage - on the last stage. But the Swede, alongside co-driver Elliott Edmondson, crashed with just two turns and a hundred metres to go, costing him precious time. It meant Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin could be crowned champions by five points on 243, having led for most of the season despite just two wins. More crucially for a championship challenge, they were consistent, only finishing outside the top six twice (Croatia and Kenya) in a 13-round season. 

"It hasn't sunk in," said a shocked Evans to the BBC. "I was sure it was over. I feel for Oliver - he had an incredible weekend. I don't know what to say." Hopefully it’s exactly the kind of drama that more sports fans will get to enjoy on BBC next year, when there’s a new era of WRC27 cars as well. But before all that, we need the special edition GR Yaris; Rovanpera got one, Ogier got two, so it would only be fair. If a Kalle can be worth £70k and an Ogier £60k, imagine what a GR Yaris Evans could command…

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• Ford to return to WRC with factory team in 2028
  
• 2024 Toyota GR Yaris Ogier Edition | PH Review

[AndyCowe]

An incredibly dramatic finish to the season. I’m surprised the BBC are not promoting the British win heavily to kickstart interest in their coverage for next year and beyond.

[Dapster]

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

[CaptainPedantic]

Dapster said:

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

That might be the greatest commentators curse in history!

[Don Roque]

Truly one of the most remarkable moments in rallying and one that will go on to become legendary in the history of the sport. Finish-line drama is never more exciting than in rallying.

It really does go to show that quiet consistency can sometimes lead to the big win. Solberg looked like a crash-test dummy version of himself when he came off the road - eyes wide and staring ahead, teeth chattering - he looked like he had zoned out for a moment and was then caught in a very bad situation.

[Turini]

So similar to Sainz on the 1998 Rally GB where his Corolla stopped with 500m to go, he smashed his helmet through the rear window and Mäkinen took the title. Elfyn s dad Gwyndaf was driving in that rally (I think) and amazing to see his son grab the title. Well done.!

Edited by Turini on Monday 5th October 07:02

[sideways man]

Fantastic news for both Elfyn and Scott. Da iawn I chi.

[Andy86GT]

Turini said:

So similar to Saint on the 1998 Rally GB where his Corolla stopped with 500m to go, he smashed his helmet through the rear window and Mäkinen took the title. Elfyn s dad Gwyndaf was driving in that rally (I think) and amazing to see his son grab the title. Well done.!

I remember that too (Sainz Snr). Well done to Elfyn he's finally done it!

[Tam_Mullen]

I didn't appreciate he's been second for the last three years and five times in total!

[GreatScott2016]

Turini said:

So similar to Sainz on the 1998 Rally GB where his Corolla stopped with 500m to go, he smashed his helmet through the rear window and Mäkinen took the title. Elfyn s dad Gwyndaf was driving in that rally (I think) and amazing to see his son grab the title. Well done.!

Edited by Turini on Monday 5th October 07:02

Yep, remember that one, I was there! Great days .

[POIDH]

Indeed a historic finish - no idea what was going on with Solberg.

But super pleased for Elfyn and Scot.

[Ranger 6]

Massive

Well done

[Venisonpie]

CaptainPedantic said:

That might be the greatest commentators curse in history!

That out Murray's anything the great man ever said.

[Latifisnc]

Keep telling myself I need to start following wrc again, and this is why. Well done Elfyn!

[phil_cardiff]

Fantastic, I had everything crossed for him as it would have been gut wrenching to finish 2nd again.

[Mr Peel]

So happy about this. Was there in Brenig in 2017 when he won Rally GB in a Fiesta. Didn't think we'd have to wait so long for a world title, but who cares?

[phil_cardiff]

Dapster said:

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

You might not be able to speak Welsh but you'll get the jist

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1EGfU8DZdQ/

[S600BSB]

CaptainPedantic said:

Dapster said:

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

That might be the greatest commentators curse in history!

Brilliant to watch - thanks for posting!

[86wasagoodyear]

CaptainPedantic said:

Dapster said:

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

That might be the greatest commentators curse in history!

Appalling choices of cameras to show on the main feed. Self-important broadcasting director not showing where Solberg's car is (did it actually cross the finish line ?? we wouldn't know from watching this), and shouty screaming self-important commentators telling us the result before the result has been decided. How and why did such children get put in charge of these things ? Broadcasters might like to try putting people who actually know what's important into the key positions.

[Mammasaid]

AndyCowe said:

An incredibly dramatic finish to the season. I m surprised the BBC are not promoting the British win heavily to kickstart interest in their coverage for next year and beyond.

It was on the front page of the BBC news website yesterday, there was a live page running on the BBC Sport website as well as 2 more articles later.

It even made it on to Radio 4's flagship Today programme, (06:29 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_f... ) ahead of the Malaysian Bahrain Grand Prix results.

[irfan1712]

Dapster said:

Unbelievable tension - you couldn't make it up. The entire championship down to the last corner of the last stage of the last rally!

Worth watching the last couple of mins here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdpA_K-og8

thanks for posting - was not expecting that! Incredible.

reminds me exactly of Burns v Mcrae, Network Q Rally Nov 2001. When Mcrae crashed out on the Rhondda stage giving burns the win. Seeing that rivalry in person that morning ( i was on the stage before Rhondda) was immense.