Elfyn Evans turns 36: a look back at five career highlights

Sardinia 2013 – First rally in WRC

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Just crowned with the title in WRC Academy – the equivalent of today's Junior WRC – the previous year, Elfyn Evans competed in his first rally in the premier class at the 2013 Rally of Sardinia. And it was not at all planned: in fact, the Welshman replaced Nasser Al-Attiyah, forced to withdraw due to commitments in Qatar, and took the place of the Qatari at the wheel of the Ford Fiesta WRC. Without any real preparation at the highest level, the young Briton did well and made no mistakes. He finished his first rally in WRC in 6th place alongside his co-driver, Giovanni Bernacchini.

Great Britain 2017 – First WRC victory

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Elfyn Evans would have to wait four years between his first rally and his first victory in the premier class. Between 2013 and 2017, the Welshman's career was eventful: despite his first two podiums in 2015, he was relegated to WRC2 by M-Sport in 2016 (where he became WRC2 vice-champion behind Esapekka Lappi), before returning to the highest level in 2017 on the DMACK car and finding Daniel Barritt at his side. From the Monte-Carlo Rally, he made a name for himself by signing several scratch times. After narrowly missing out on victory in Argentina, he won his first WRC rally at home, in Great Britain. He also became the first Briton to win on home soil since Richard Burns in 2000.

Sweden 2020 – A victory and firsts

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In 2020, the Dolgellau pilot changes dimension with a transfer to Toyota, where he finds his former teammate Sébastien Ogier. With the Japanese manufacturer, the Welshman started strongly with a first podium at the Monte Carlo Rally in January. At the following round, in Sweden, Elfyn Evans produced an exceptional performance and led the event from start to finish to take his second WRC victory, the first for Toyota. He also became the first Briton to win Rally Sweden – neither Colin McRae nor Richard Burns had managed it. And for the first time in his career, Elfyn Evans led the Drivers' Championship! For the first time, the Welshman was a serious contender for the title…

Monza 2020 – The title lost to Ogier

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…but the 2020 season was quickly disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and the championship had to be put on hold after the Rally of Mexico. Despite a long six-month hiatus, Elfyn Evans returned in the same form as at the start of the year and won the Rally of Turkey, on a calendar reduced to just seven events. The final round took place in Monza, around the Temple of Speed, in December: before the start, the Welshman was in a strong position and had a 14-point lead over Sébastien Ogier. Unfortunately, in SS11, he went off the track, trapped by the snow. Forced to retire, the Briton left the field clear for the Frenchman who, thanks to his victory in Italy, won his seventh title.

Monza 2021 – Bis repetita

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The following year, still at Monza, Elfyn Evans had the opportunity to take his revenge against Sébastien Ogier. This time, the roles were reversed: it was the Frenchman who led the championship with a 17-point lead over the Welshman, who had held his own against the reigning champion with two victories and four 2nd places during the season. The No. 33 did not have his destiny in his own hands and had to hope for a mistake from his teammate to have a chance of the title. A mistake that would never happen: solid, Sébastien Ogier won the Monza Rally and therefore, his eighth world champion title while Elfyn Evans, a valiant warrior, finished 2nd in the event and the championship.

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