Latest news with #ElfynEvans
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Evans loses WRC lead as Solberg wins in Estonia
Elfyn Evans lost the lead in the World Rally Championship (WRC) after finishing sixth at Rally Estonia. Oliver Solberg followed in the footsteps of his world champion father, Petter, by claiming an amazing maiden victory on debut in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were only drafted in for the race, the eighth leg of the WRC, at short notice and had just two days of testing to prepare. Local hero and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak was the pre-race favourite but had to settle for second in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 - although his result was enough to overhaul Evans to take the lead of the drivers' championship by a single point. Tanak's team-mate Thierry Neuville was third, while two-time world champion and three-time Rally Estonia winner Kalle Rovanpera was fourth in his Toyota, followed by Adrien Fourmaux in fifth. Round nine of the Championship - Rally Finland - takes place on 31 July-3 August, with five more rounds to follow that. World Rally Championship standings After Rally Estonia, round nine of 14: Ott Tanak (Hyundai) 162 Elfyn Evans (Toyota) 161 Sebastien Ogier (Toyota) 141 Kalle Rovanpera (Toyota) 138 Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) 114 Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) 71
Cambrian News
21-07-2025
- Automotive
- Cambrian News
Elfyn Evans loses WRC lead as Solberg claims shock Rally Estonia win
Once more tasked with running first on the road and sweeping the loose gravel stages on Friday, Elfyn Evans also had a strong final day with co-driver Scott Martin, gaining sixth overall and finishing fourth on Super Sunday and fifth in the Power Stage to leave just one point behind the championship lead. TGR-WRT continues to lead the manufacturers' standings by 52 points.
BBC News
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Evans loses WRC lead as Solberg wins in Estonia
Elfyn Evans lost the lead in the World Rally Championship (WRC) after finishing sixth at Rally Solberg followed in the footsteps of his world champion father, Petter, by claiming an amazing maiden victory on debut in a Toyota GR Yaris and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were only drafted in for the race, the eighth leg of the WRC, at short notice and had just two days of testing to hero and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak was the pre-race favourite but had to settle for second in his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 - although his result was enough to overhaul Evans to take the lead of the drivers' championship by a single team-mate Thierry Neuville was third, while two-time world champion and three-time Rally Estonia winner Kalle Rovanpera was fourth in his Toyota, followed by Adrien Fourmaux in nine of the Championship - Rally Finland - takes place on 31 July-3 August, with five more rounds to follow that. World Rally Championship standings After Rally Estonia, round nine of 14:Ott Tanak (Hyundai) 162Elfyn Evans (Toyota) 161Sebastien Ogier (Toyota) 141Kalle Rovanpera (Toyota) 138Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) 114Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) 71
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oliver Solberg to make WRC Rally1 outing with Toyota in Estonia
Oliver Solberg will make a return to the World Rally Championship top tier at Rally Estonia this month after being handed a drive by Toyota. The current WRC2 points leader had been set to contest the fast gravel rally (17-20 July) piloting his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in the WRC2 class, but will now swap his car for a maiden competitive outing in Toyota's Rally1 car. Advertisement Solberg will join Toyota full-time drivers Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanpera, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari, after Sebastien Ogier confirmed he won't return to the WRC until Rally Finland in August. 'The moment we have all been waiting for is finally here. Me and [co-driver] Elliott [Edmondson] will be back in a Rally1 car with Toyota Gazoo Racing. I just want to say a big thanks to the team for the trust to jump back in the rally car and it has been a moment and a dream come true and we have been waiting for this for a long time,' said Solberg. The outing will be Solberg's first appearance driving Rally1 machinery at a WRC rally since Rally New Zealand in October 2022. That year the son of 2003 world rally champion Petter Solberg contested eight WRC rounds piloting Hyundai's third factory Rally1 entry, which he shared with Dani Sordo. Solberg claimed four points finishes, including a career-best fourth at Ypres Rally Belgium. Solberg had since been competing in the WRC's second tier, WRC2, finishing sixth in the standings in 2023, before finishing runner-up last year. This season the 23-year-old has enjoyed a stunning start to the year claiming wins in Sweden, Portugal and Greece to lead the standings. Last weekend's run to WRC2 victory in Greece saw Solberg produce an impressive drive to finish the rally sixth overall. Advertisement Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 'After a super strong season so far I think we are more than ready and confident. We have built a great relationship with the team and now I just want to start the rally and give it a good go and let's see what we can do,' he added. In preparation for the event, Solberg and co-driver Edmondson will test the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 for the first time next week. 'The test will be a really important time to learn how the car is working. Even though they are both GR Yaris, the Rally1 is really different to the car I am driving. One of the big things will be the aerodynamics – the car looks so well balanced with the aero – but this will take some time to get up to speed with,' said Solberg. Advertisement Read Also: Sebastien Ogier to make WRC return at Rally Finland New WRC 2027 regulations draw interest from tuners and manufacturers 'The aim for me from the test is to feel comfortable with the car and to have as wide a window of operation as I can with it. The aim for the rally is to come to the finish with a smile on my face. It would be nice to make some good times, but the priority here is the experience and the seat time in Rally1. 'For Estonia, I have good experience – I have been there quite a few times and won with the Rally2 car before. But for now, it's just about me doing as much homework as I can. The time is quite short before the start, so me and Elliott will be working on the notes, looking at the onboards and talking with the team as much as we can. 'It's really happening now. Thanks to Toyota, the dream is coming true.' To read more articles visit our website.
BBC News
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Evans clings to WRC lead as Tanak wins in Greece
Elfyn Evans' lead in the World Rally Championship is down to single figures after the Acropolis Rally Greece was won by Ott Hyundai driver's victory is the first time this year Toyota have failed to win a rally, with Sebastien Ogier second and Evans fourth in the punishing world champion Ogier is nine points behind GR Yaris Rally 1 team-mate Evans, with Estonian Tanak a further three the rally moved from September to its more traditional date in June, ambient temperatures pushed past 40 degrees and cockpit heat was even higher. Among the casualties of the baked gravel roads was another Toyota driver Kalle Rovanpera, who finished outside the top 10."It's been a tough weekend, didn't really have the pace we wanted," said 36-year-old Evans."We had to get to the end to get something, so could be worse."Welshman Evans had built up an unprecedented 36-point lead after the first three rallies of the year, placing second behind Ogier in Monte Carlo before winning in Sweden and French team-mate has now won four of this season's seven events and collected 10 bonus points in Greece, winning both Super Sunday and the powerstage, but the 41-year-old will skip the next round on the high-speed forest roads of Estonia."I think we've had a super strong weekend," Ogier said. "There wasn't much we could do to Ott – he was really flying."Ireland's Josh McErlean was another beset by struggles, suffering a puncture on Friday and damaging his suspension and breaking a driveshaft on finished 12th in his M-Sport Ford Puma."It took sheer determination from the team, because every service there was some job," said McErlean."Hopefully it gets a bit easier from here in Estonia and Finland."England's Gus Greensmith was one of several WRC2 drivers who claimed top-10 eight of the 14-event WRC series, Delfi Rally Estonia, runs from 17-20 July. Acropolis Rally Greece result 1. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, 4 hours 12 minutes 20.1 seconds2. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, +32.8secs3. Adrien Fourmaux (France), Hyundai, +3min 9.8secs4. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, +3min 31.1secs5. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, +6min 9.5secs6. Oliver Solberg (Sweden), Toyota, +10min 34.7secsSelected7. Gus Greensmith (Great Britain), Skoda, +11min 28.5secs12. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, +16min 46.1secs FIA World Rally Championship drivers' standings (provisional) 1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 150 points2. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 1413. Ott Tanak (Estonia), Hyundai, 1384. Kalle Rovanpera (Finland), Toyota, 1175. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 966. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, 63Selected11. Gus Greensmith (Great Britain), Skoda, 14 12 Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, 12
