EVANS GUNNING TO WOW HOME FANS
Returning Welshman gunning for a glorious comeback to M-sport’s line-up
Home hero Elfyn Evans has been told to push his brand new Ford Fiesta WRC to the limit in pursuit of an M-sport hat-trick at Wales Rally GB this week.
The advice to Evans – himself chasing a second home win in three years – came from
M-sport managing director Malcolm Wilson.
Wilson told MN: “Elfyn’s done it before, he can do it again. He’s got the speed and so has the car.
It’s going to be a fantastic event.”
Back from injury and competing for the first time since July, hometown hero Elfyn Evans will go route one in pursuit of a second Wales Rally GB victory this week.
The Welshman admits he might be short on match practice having missed the last three rounds of the World Rally Championship, but his absence from a title fight has given him clarity ahead of the Llandudno-based event.
“I don’t care what’s going on at the front in terms of the championship,” he told Motorsport News. “I’m ninth or something like that, so I’m just going to go for it. I’m only interested in what I’m doing.”
Asked what sort of tactics he expected from the trio of title protagonists – Ott Tanak, Sebastien Ogier and Thierry Neuville – Evans replied: “It’s hard to know. Seb and Thierry need to push to make up the gap, but there’s three rallies left and nobody will want to be throwing any points away. They can do what they want, I’ve just got to get on with what I’m doing. I’ve had a bit more time than usual to prepare for this week; usually it’s a case of getting home from the previous round and fitting in as much work as you can before getting back in the car and heading to the rally.
“I’ve been able to spend some more time on the on boards and things. This is probably the longest I’ve been out of the car since I’ve been with M-sport and I’m honestly really excited about getting back to it.” “Elfyn will be a boost for us”
Millener
Evans injured his back at Rally Estonia three months ago, but was given the all-clear for a return last month. The 2017 Wales Rally GB winner drove a rally car again the week before last and was in Wales to test the Ford Fiesta
WRC in the middle of last week.
“I did two half-days in the [Ford Fiesta] R5 car at Greystoke,” said Evans. “That was great and the [R5] MKII felt fantastic, but it was so good to be back in the
World Rally Car.”
Testing close to Bala, Evans benefited from mixed weather, allowing him to test the full range of settings for the Fiesta.
“We got a full day in,” he said. “We started at nine and ran into the darkness and I’m really happy with the way it went. We found a good mix of corners on the road we were on – there was some quick stuff and some more tight and twisty bits.”
Evans admitted he’s hoping to end an apparent Welsh test jinx on M-sport winning its home round.
M-sport managing director Malcolm Wilson joked: “I told him,
when we win, it’s because we tested in Cumbria. It’s true.
It was that way with Marcus [Gronholm] and when Elfyn won a couple of years ago.”
Ogier did manage a victory for M-sport last year, having tested in Bala.
“I know all about that story,” said Evans. “And if I don’t win this year I think I’ll listen to MW and never test in Wales again!”
Ninth into Friday’s first loop of forest stages, Evans knows the weather could work against him this week, with the preferred place on the road somewhere in the top three.
“I’m not thinking about that,” he said. “I can’t change it, so what’s the point? If the weather is wet and sh*tty, it’ll be tough, but like I told you before, I started from a crap place on the road last year and I was running second after the first loop on Friday. I’m just going to get on with it.”
M-sport chief Wilson said the Cumbrian factory team had done all it could for Evans.
“He’s got a new car and we just want him to go out there and use it,” Wilson told MN. “We’ve seen the car’s got the speed to win in Wales – we’ve done that for the last two years – and we’ve seen how Elfyn’s matured and developed in the last few years. He knows what he’s capable of. Basically, the advice from us is to go out, put the thing on its door handles and drive it as hard as he can. He’s got nothing to lose and he’s going to give it everything.”
While Evans will revel in huge support at home, the Myherin test won’t be quite the same with fans unable to reach ‘Elfyn’s Corner’ this time around.
“That’s a shame,” said Evans. “It’s a tricky one, the stretch of road we’re using is fantastic with the hairpins down to the finish, but that was the car park for that corner in the last couple of years.
“I’ve been flattered [by the team behind Elfyn’s Corner], but I’m so lucky to have amazing support all around this rally and it really does help. The lift from seeing the flags and seeing the people all around the place is really nice. I have to thank them for that.”
M-sport team principal Richard Millener will be looking after three factory Fiestas this week, with Teemu Suninen and Pontus Tidemand joining Evans, but the start can not come soon enough.
“I have been looking forward to this one all year,” said Millener. “There’s always something special about competing at home and this was the first WRC event I ever watched – so to come here looking after the team is a really special experience for me.
“It’s also fantastic to have Elfyn back with us. Teemu came into his own in Germany and Turkey, but there’s nothing quite like Elfyn’s experience – especially in Wales – and it’s a big boost for us all to have him here. All three drivers have a pretty good track record in the Welsh forests.
Teemu won the event as part of the WRC 2 Championship in 2015, and Pontus has never finished lower than second in WRC 2. As for Elfyn, well we all know what he is capable of at home.”