EVANS “AT A LOSS” OVER PENALTY

Although it was academic, since a subsequent hybrid issue resulted in his Toyota’s retirement, Elfyn Evans disagreed with stewards over a penalty issued following Saturday’s wild stage finish.

Evans was at a loss as to how officials deemed that he’d gained an advantage following his impact with a snowbank and unorthodox route to the time beam. He also defended his actions for using a non-defined route to the stop control line after the finish.

“I don’t feel it’s quite correct,” he said. “We lost like over a second, almost two seconds, in the last corner anyway, so the assumption I gained time is not correct because, after I hit the snowbank, it took a long time to cross the finish line. The event afterwards, this is the bit I’m at a loss. I discussed with Scott [Martin, co-driver] and I had the option to fly over the snowbank and arrive at the stop control, but there, all the media is standing.

“Rather than put anyone in danger we continued to the stop control albeit slightly to the side of it, facing the same direction and on the same piece of Tarmac. We thought, in the light of safety and not getting stuck on top of the snowbank or risk blocking the stage, that it was the only option.”

Penalty aside, four points from two rounds left Evans to declare his start to the season as “probably the worst” of his career: “It’s not ideal and I’m sorry for the team for all their hard work, because they’ve built a very fast car and so far we haven’t been able to bring back the results they deserve.”