Evans Wins World Rally Title
Elfyn Evans made history as he became the UK Rally Champion in 25 years. Evans also became the first Welshman in history to earn this feat.
Evans became World Rally Champion at the last round of the World Rally Championship and at the very last hurdle. Swedish driver Oliver Solberg was on course to become Champion until he lost control of the at the penultimate corner at Rally Italia Sardegna.
Evans and co-driver Scott Martin were ahead most of the 2026 season with a 21-point gap from second place coming into the final round. Yet the difference shrunk to only one point when Evans and Solberg lined up for the final 17 stages.
Evans ultimately won the Championship with 243 points despite only finishing 5th at Rally Italia Sardegna. The Welshman was four minutes 48.1 seconds off of Solberg who won the final stage with a time of 3 hours 24 minutes and 57 seconds.
Evans defied the odds and beat his Toyota teammate despite a nervous penultimate run due to a puncture to his Toyota GR Yaris and had to change the tyre. Solberg who was in with a chance at the final stage missed out on the title as he ran off the road due to a mistake two corners before the finish.
Evans and Martin had many narrow misses over the past six five seasons after coming runner up from 2020 to 2025. Solberg’s father Petter won the World Rally Title in 2003 further reflecting the pressure Evans and Martin had to be able to win the grand prize at the final hurdle.
Evans follows in the history of UK drivers Colin McRae and Richard Burns in becoming only a handful of UK drivers to win the World Rally Title. McRae won the title in 1995 aged 27 while Burns won the title in 2001. The Champion also follows in his father’s footsteps Gwyndaf Evans who won the British Rally Championship in 1996…
As the World Rally Championship makes it’s return to Britain in 2027, Evans will have a chance to defend the title on home soil as Rally Scotland will be held 30th September to 3rd October 2027.
Written by Ceri Norris
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