Here's the thing: a three-way championship fight all inside the same garage is a wild way to settle a season. Sardinia's notoriously challenging gravel stages are set to host the ultimate showdown, with just 21 points separating the Toyota Gazoo Racing trio of Evans, Sami Pajari, and Solberg heading into the season finale.
With 35 points still available on the table, Evans holds a 17-point advantage over Pajari, while Solberg sits a further four points adrift. That leaves Evans in the driver's seat for the crown, needing to score 19 points or more in Sardinia to secure the world championship regardless of what his rivals achieve.
It's going to be very special to go to Sardinia with three of our crews fighting to become world champion for the first time,
Although Solberg faces the steepest challenge of the three title contenders, the 25-year-old arrives in Italy on an impressive run of form. Since Greece, he has outscored both of his rivals, collecting 106 points compared to Pajari's 97 and Evans' 68. He also heads into the finale with momentum on his side after claiming victory at Rally Chile last time out.
"The championship has looked like a long shot for us at times this year but we never gave up. It was great to get back into the fight with our result in Chile and go into this last rally with a shot at the title," said Solberg. "It's a big gap to Elfyn to try to close in one rally, but we will give it everything of course, and in a rally like Sardinia, anything can still happen. The stages are challenging, with fast sections where you need good commitment, as well as more technical parts where you have to be more patient. I don't have so much experience there, especially in the top category, but we had a good run to win the Rally2 class last year and we just have to aim for the top step once more and see what happens."
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala believes it will be a "very special" occasion to see three of his crews fighting for their first outright world title, although he is mindful of the challenges Sardinia could throw their way. The team already has a record-equalling manufacturers' championship under its belt, with all five of their crews winning multiple rounds of the WRC this year.
"It's going to be very special to go to Sardinia with three of our crews fighting to become world champion for the first time," Latvala stated. "For our team, the most important thing is to provide them all with a strong and reliable car so that they can have an even fight. We know that Sardinia can be a rough rally with a lot of rocks, so it can be hard for the tyres and the drivers will need to calculate the risks they take."
Latvala also noted that Evans faces the difficult position of opening the road in Sardinia, though leaning on plenty of experience, while praising Pajari for growing a lot during the year and Solberg for bouncing back strongly. It all points to a fair fight and a fitting finale for the GR Yaris Rally1 machine.
