As Autosport reports, Elfyn Evans is staring down an absolute war of attrition on Sunday as he prepares an “all in or nothing” charge for his maiden World Rally Championship crown at Rally Italy Sardinia. The Toyota driver arrived at the final round holding a 17-point advantage, but that cushion has shrunk to a razor-thin six points heading into the last four stages of the season. A stunning Saturday charge from Oliver Solberg completely flipped the script, launching the young contender all the way from third to the overall rally lead.
Fellow title hopeful and Toyota team-mate Sami Pajari remains firmly in the mix as well, sitting 12 points behind Evans. Right now, Evans needs just five points from the 10 available across Super Sunday and the Power Stage to seal the championship, regardless of what Solberg or Pajari manage. But if Evans and Solberg end up tied on points, the title goes to Solberg on countback if he seals the Sardinia victory—which would mark his third win of the year.
This afternoon I was not trying to be dragged in too much to the pressure. Punctures could happen as they were very tricky stages and I tried to take a step back and manage it a bit.
Saturday could have ended with an eight-point margin, but Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux snatched fourth position away from Evans on the day's final stage. Road position severely hamstrung Evans's pure pace, leaving the five-time title runner-up to admit his cautious tactics might have backfired. “We went with a more conservative approach. Obviously we were trying to stay out of punctures,” Evans said. “It didn't look like we were going to gain too much by risking all. In the end, maybe a less conservative approach would have been better.
“It is difficult to know what to do in this situation. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place. It seems if you're pushing, you get a puncture. If you go slowly, you might miss an opportunity, like we've done. We're still here now, at least, and we have it all to play for tomorrow.” Road conditions certainly won't offer any favors on Sunday morning, with the opening stage presenting the worst of the gravel sweeping duties. Even so, the math is simple for the championship leader. “Obviously we have got to go all in or nothing tomorrow,” he added.
Up front, Oliver Solberg—paired alongside Elliott Edmondson in their Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 machine—holds a 33.6s advantage over Sebastien Ogier going into the final four tests. The 25-year-old is gunning for all 10 remaining Super Sunday and Power Stage points while keeping a wary eye on the brutal nature of the Italian tracks. “It's been an incredible day. The morning objective was clear, when the new stages arrived I needed to do a very strong push, and it worked fantastically,” Solberg stated. “This afternoon I was not trying to be dragged in too much to the pressure. Punctures could happen as they were very tricky stages and I tried to take a step back and manage it a bit.”
Solberg knows the pressure squarely rests on his rival's shoulders now. “Elfyn has a load of pressure tomorrow too. He needs to really push and anything can happen to him too. He hasn't really pushed all weekend yet and you never know who gets what,” Solberg noted. Meanwhile, Sami Pajari—driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1—faces the steepest climb of the trio. Yet the Finn refuses to back down, trusting the unpredictable nature of Sardinia's roads to shake up the order. When asked if flat out is the only way forward, Pajari simply said: “I believe so. I think it's not only us. There are a few more people also included, and also some others who want to win this rally. So I think the level of risk taking tomorrow is quite high. Anything can happen.”
