Elfyn Evans has taken another step closer to securing an historic maiden triumph over Saturday’s opening five special stages at Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, as the M-Sport ace bids to become the first Welsh driver ever to win on home turf in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Following an impressive opening day effort, Evans began day two – the longest leg of the rally, comprising more than 55 competitive miles through the legendary Welsh forests – holding a healthy 24.6-second advantage over his closest pursuer, team-mate Ott Tänak.
By dint of winning four of the morning’s five speed tests in north Wales – two of which, Gartheiniog 1 and 2, passed quite literally behind his back door – the Dolgellau-born driver almost doubled that lead as he made the best of his DMACK tyres, completing the loop of stages some 47.9 seconds clear of new challenger Thierry Neuville.
The Belgian spoiled the prevailing M-Sport symmetry, after the independent British team – which stands on the brink of winning its first Manufacturers’ title since 2007 this weekend – had begun the day with its three cars locking out the top three positions.
Neuville is still embroiled in a battle with defending four-time world champion Sébastien Ogier for Drivers’ glory – as, indeed, is Tänak.
Despite the Hyundai man’s charge, however – which included a stage win on Dyfi 2 – Ogier remains on-course to clinch a fifth consecutive crown, and is deliberately adopting a cautious approach in the knowledge that an Evans victory would likely deny his two rivals the points they need to keep their championship hopes alive.
Evans, though, can ill-afford to rest on his laurels, with some 50 miles of competitive action still to be run. That will include the family-friendly Toyota RallyFest at Cholmondeley Castle this afternoon, followed by night-time blasts through Aberhirnant and Dyfnant this evening.
Five further tests then remain tomorrow, including the points-paying Brenig Power Stage finale.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better morning,” reflected the 28-year-old, who is on the threshold of becoming the first British driver to win the event since the heady days of Richard Burns and Colin McRae almost two decades ago.
“The conditions have been near enough exactly what we wanted. It’s still not been easy out there, but we’ve had a good rhythm and a good feeling with the car. It was a long loop for us in terms of getting through on the tyres, so we tried to be as neat and tidy as possible.
“It’s going pretty well, but at this stage for us it’s just managing everything we have. There are some more tricky stages to come and tonight will be difficult – the weather’s coming in, so if we get fog in Dyfnant, that won’t be nice. Let’s keep at it and see what we can do.”
Behind Evans, Neuville, Tänak and Ogier, Jari-Matti Latvala remains fifth in his Toyota, with Andreas Mikkelsen in sixth, just ahead of his Citroën team-mate Kris Meeke – another home hero – in seventh. Hyundai stablemates Hayden Paddon and Dani Sordo, as well as Toyota’s Juho Hänninen round out the top ten.
2017 Dayinsure Wales Rally GB after 13 of 21 Special Stages
1. Elfyn Evans/Daniel Barritt – Ford Fiesta WRC 2h 12m 38.7s
2. Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +47.9s
3. Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja – Ford Fiesta WRC +1m 01.9s
4. Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia – Ford Fiesta WRC +1m 05.2s
5. Jari-Matti Latvala/Miikka Anttila – Toyota Yaris WRC +1m 22.0s
6. Andreas Mikkelsen/Anders Jaeger – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +1m 23.6s
7. Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle – Citroën C3 WRC +1m 31.0s
8. Hayden Paddon/Sebastian Marshall – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +2m 22.2s
9. Dani Sordo/Marc Martí – Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC +2m 30.7s
10. Juho Hänninen/Kaj Lindström – Toyota Yaris WRC +2m 33.0s