By Paul Evans
Elfyn Evans has finished a fantastic second on the Rally of Portugal, which is his best result in the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship and his first podium finish since he won last year’s Wales Rally GB.
The 29-year old Dolgellau driver started today’s third and final day in second place, 39.8 seconds behind the leaders. Whilst it was a relatively short day, the route contained five stages, including two runs over the famous Fafe stage with its iconic jump (the second passage of which was the Power Stage) – so it was by no means an easy Sunday drive to the finish.
Yet Evans drove brilliantly over the closing stages, never putting a foot wrong in his M-Sport-run Ford Fiesta WRC to maintain his position – with he and co-driver Daniel Barritt eventually finishing 40 seconds behind rally winners Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC).
It had been a great three days of competition for Evans, in which he had recorded two fastest stage times, two second fastest times and five fourth fastest times in a textbook display of speed and consistency. And after a bit of a rocky start to his season, in which his speed and ability had never been reflected in the results, second in Portugal kick-starts Evans’ WRC campaign as the series moves onto the Rally of Italy in Sardinia (8‐10 June).
“This is a great result for us, and well overdue,” said Evans. “Hopefully it’s a sign of even more positive things to come in the second half of the season.”
Rally of Portugal – top 10 overall
1. Thierry Neuville / Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) 3:49:46.0
2. Elfyn Evans / Daniel Barritt (Ford Fiesta WRC) +40.0
3. Teemu Suninen / Mikko Markkula (Ford Fiesta WRC) +47.3
4. Esapekka Lappi / Janne Ferm (Toyota Yaris WRC) +54.7
5. Dani Sordo / Carlos del Barrio (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC) +1:00.9
6. Mads Østberg / Torstein Eriksen (Citroen DS3 WRC) +3:33.5
7. Craig Breen / Scott Martin (Citroen DS3 WRC) +5:23.0
8. Pontus Tidemand / Jonas Andersson (Skoda Fabia R5) +14:10.8
9. Lukasz Pieniazek / Przemyslaw Mazur (Skoda Fabia R5) +16:17.3
10. Stephane Lefebvre / Gabin Moreau (Citroen C3 R5) +16:34.3