By Paul Evans
With only two rounds of the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship remaining, Elfyn Evans will be hoping that his rotten luck will change this weekend on Rally Spain (25-28 October).
The RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de España, as it’s officially called, is the penultimate round of the series and the only mixed-surface event on the calendar, combining one day of gravel stages with two days on asphalt.
Co-driven by Dan Barritt, Rally Spain is an event that should suit Evans and his M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC – although in five previous starts, his best result is seventh in 2017.
One of Evans’ main aims this weekend will be to help team-mates Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia maintain their challenge for a sixth world title. The French duo arrive in the Tarragona province of north east Spain on the back of their sensational Dayinsure Wales Rally GB victory and are second in the standings, just seven points behind leaders Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul (Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC). But to be able to help, Evans will need to be right up there fighting for victory too – something he’s more than capable of, if punctures, mechanical issues and mishaps don’t get in the way, as they have done so often this season.
“We go to Spain determined to secure a good result,” says Evans. “Luck hasn’t been on our side this year, but the speed is there and we’ll be looking to close the season with some strong results.
“As the only mixed-surface encounter on the calendar, there’s no other event quite like this one. We start the rally in gravel specification before everything is lowered and stiffened for Catalunya’s circuit-like asphalt.
“It’s quite a strategic rally and our plan will be to give it a big push through the gravel on Friday, before seeing where we are for the weekend’s asphalt – which really is like driving on a racetrack in places!”
Based in the seaside town of Salou, Rally Spain begins with a return of the spectacular street stage in the Montjuïc area of Barcelona on Thursday (25 October). Friday (26 October) sees crews head west for the longest day of the event. Two identical loops of three gravel stages await, two not used since 2014 and the monster 24 mile La Fatarella-Vilalba test also including some asphalt sections. After swapping the cars to asphalt specification overnight, Saturday (27 October) and Sunday (28 October) are contested purely on Tarmac. Saturday’s route heads north-east and is rounded off with a street stage on the Salou seafront, while Sunday’s two loops of two stages are also similar to last year. There are 18 stages in total, covering 206 stage miles.