Evans refuses to discount Pajari as WRC title pressure builds

Look, sometimes you just get away with one. That is precisely what happened to Evans in Jyväskylä, where an afternoon roll in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 somehow still yielded an unlikely third-place finish. Fans on the sidelines pitched in to heave the machine back onto the asphalt before the Toyota crew worked miracles with extensive repairs, letting the Welshman salvage a podium that felt entirely like a grand escape.

“I was happy to come away with anything, really, after what happened,” Evans said. “I count myself lucky, there’s no question. You don’t get away with many of those.” Blame it on the chaotic mixed conditions and high attrition, but dropping one minute and 30 seconds in Finland and still standing on the rostrum is pure madness. Yet the damage limitation actually grew his championship advantage from 25 to 30 points.

Still, comfort is short-lived with four rounds left on the calendar and 35 points on offer at each. Sami Pajari has charged into the role of closest challenger after taking his second consecutive victory following a breakthrough success in Estonia. Evans points out that the 24-year-old’s current form is simply a steady climb rather than a sudden miracle. “It’s not easy to come into the top class, and everybody develops at a different rate,” Evans explained. “In many ways, the expectation now is that everybody can do what Kalle did.” Having brushed off early criticism, Pajari has proven his consistency, and Evans insists he never counted him out.

Now, the championship shifts toward Paraguay and Chile, where conditions will likely dictate the chaos. While opening the road might turn rain into an advantage on loose gravel, the Welshman warns of a proper lottery. “If it rains in Paraguay or Chile, those rallies can immediately turn into a lottery because the grip is so low and so changeable,” he said, noting that Chile usually brings thick fog along with the downpours.

As if the weekend needed any more drama, this particular escape carried a bizarre family twist. Gwyndaf Evans, the former British champion and father of the championship leader, was watching trackside at the exact corner where the machine went shiny-side down. “He was spectating there, and I happened to choose the exact spot where he was standing to put the car on its roof,” Evans smiled. Beautiful madness, all of it.