Evans Regains Wrc Lead As Ogier Wins In Canaries

3 days ago

Elfyn Evans' reddish and achromatic Toyota Yaris pinch bluish sky, roadworthy signs and thenar trees astatine Rally Islas Canarias

Elfyn Evans has returned to nan apical of nan World Rally Championship (WRC) standings aft finishing 2nd down Sebastien Ogier astatine Rally Islas Canarias.

The Welsh driver, who collected a maximum 10 Sunday prize points alongside 17 arsenic runner-up, now leads Toyota team-mate Takamoto Katsuta by 2 points aft 5 of nan 14 rounds.

Evans, 37, vanished 19.9 seconds down eight-time world champion Ogier. Finland's Sami Pajari was 3rd pinch Japan's Katsuta and Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston fourth, arsenic Toyota's Gazoo Racing filled nan apical 4 places.

"It has been a coagulated weekend," said Evans.

"It was a mediocre commencement and that put america retired of nan conflict for nan win. I person had mixed feelings. Congrats to Seb, he has driven an exceptional weekend."

Josh McErlean vanished eighth successful nan Spanish information of nan championship, while Motorsport Ireland and M-Sport Ford team-mate Jon Armstrong placed 11th.

Jon Armstrong of Ireland leans connected his damaged M-Sport Ford Puma during work astatine Rally Islas Canarias

It was nan astir testing rally truthful acold for Armstrong connected his debut play successful WRC1, losing much than 2 minutes connected Saturday erstwhile spectators had to thief his car backmost onto nan road.

"It has been rather a challenging play location is nary uncertainty astir that," said nan 31-year-old Fermanagh driver.

"It has taken a agelong clip to get connected apical of a tyre connected this rally. I deliberation we person been progressing and we request to understand really we tin improve.

"It has not been a awesome rally, but sometimes you will person worse ones than bully ones."

Toyota had been connected people to declare nan apical 5 spots, but Rally Monte Carlo victor Oliver Solberg collapsed retired connected nan penultimate stage.

Solberg - who won six of nan weekend's 18 stages - had been 2nd connected nan road, 2 seconds down Ogier, but was forced to discontinue his severely damaged Yaris, leaving him pinch nary points for information five.

It was a first triumph of nan play for nan 42-year-old Frenchman, who had sat retired Rally Sweden - won by Evans - and nan erstwhile information successful Croatia wherever Katsuta took his 2nd triumph successful a statement pursuing occurrence successful Kenya.

The teams now caput to Portugal for information six from 7-10 May.