Elfyn Evans
1. Who is Elfyn Evans?
Elfyn Evans is a British rally driver, whose date of birth is December 28, 1988 in Dolgellau (Great Britain). He currently plays for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team in the WRC.
Elfyn Evans, rally driver at Toyota © Nikos Katikis / DPPI
2. Elfyn Evans’ junior journey
Elfyn Evans has been immersed in rallying since childhood. His father, Gwyndaf Evans, was British champion in 1996 and a WRC driver with Ford. Very quickly imbued with family passion, Elfyn Evans began his professional rallying career in 2007, in Group N. The same year he took part in his first Rally of Great Britain at home in Wales.
In 2010, the Welshman won the British Junior Rally Championship and the Ford Fiesta Trophy UK. He also won a screening organized by Pirelli, which gave him the opportunity to be financed for a full rally season with a Subaru Impreza, in Group N. One year later, he participated in three rallies counting towards the world championship, in Finland, France and Great Britain. Elfyn Evans won the WRC Academy championship in 2012 with 4 victories in 6 rounds.
The following year, he took part in the WRC-2 championship with the M-Sport team with a new co-driver, Daniel Barritt. He scored his first points in the World Rally Championship. Evans even had his first experience in a WRC car at the Sardinia Rally, replacing Nasser Al-Attiyah, where he finished sixth.
3. WRC journey by Elfyn Evans
The year 2014 marks the big debut of Elfyn Evans in the premier category of the WRC. With the Ford Fiesta of the M-Sport World Rally Team, he is entered alongside Mikko Hirvonen for the full season. For his first year as a regular driver, he finished 8th in the championship, 45 points behind his teammate. He obtained his best result in Mexico and Germany, with a 4th place. Elfyn Evans scored her first two podiums during the 2015 season, in Argentina and at the Tour de Corse.
Despite good progress and a 7th place in the championship, he was not retained by M-Sport in WRC for 2016 and was demoted to WRC-2. The Welshman remains with the British team and changes co-driver with now Craig Parry. He finished 3rd in the WRC-2 championship with 3 victories in the category, including the Monte-Carlo Rally. He also won the British Rally Championship title the same year.
In 2017, Elfyn Evans returned to the WRC with M-Sport with the DMACK car and found Daniel Barritt at his side. At the Monte-Carlo Rally, he stood out by signing several scratches. After narrowly failing to win in Argentina, he won his first WRC rally at home in Great Britain. He also became the first Briton to win at home since Richard Burns in 2000.
Elfyn Evans' first victory, at the 2017 Rally Great Britain with the M-Sport DMACK team © Frédéric Le Floc'h / DPPI
In 2018, Elfyn Evans did not materialize and remained in the shadow of his teammate, Sébastien Ogier. The following year, with a Ford Fiesta slower than its competitors, the Welshman could do no better than 5th place in the championship with only 2 podiums. He also changes co-driver with the arrival of Scott Martin.
The Dolgellau driver changes dimension in 2020, with a transfer to Toyota where he reunites with Sébastien Ogier. In a season truncated by the Covid-19 pandemic, he is playing for the title until the last rally, at Monza. Leading the championship at the start, he went off the track in the race, trapped by the snow and lost the title by 8 points, behind Ogier. Evans won 2 rallies that season, in Sweden and Turkey, with the Toyota Yaris WRC.
Evans at the 2020 Monza Rally: a race where the Welshman lost the title after going off the track… © François Flamand / DPPI
Bis repetita in 2021: the Welshman is in the running for the title until the last round, with two victories and five 2nd places. But Sébastien Ogier wins the title once again at the Monza Rally. Elfyn Evans becomes vice-world champion for the 2nd year in a row.
4. AUTOhebdo's opinion on Elfyn Evans
Since Elfyn Evans joined Toyota, the Welshman has become a serious contender and one of the title favorites. Very fast and often reliable, it is regularly placed to play for victory, regardless of the surface. But the Welshman was not present in the important moments and can crack under pressure. The best example remains that of Monza, in 2020, where he could (and should have) been champion without this off-track exit. Under the Italian snow, he was trapped and proof of his impeccable collective state of mind, he stood at the side of the road to warn his rival and teammate Sebastien Ogier of the danger. His characteristic style, leaning forward, mouth open, and hands close together on the steering wheel, is one of his trademarks! With his team and the Toyota Yaris WRC, Evans could achieve his goals in future seasons. The driving is there, all that is missing is the mind in the crucial moments.
associated researches
Drivers of his generation
