Q&A:
Elfyn
Evans

Has it all sunk in yet? It’s been a fantastic season... “To be honest, I think it’s going to take a little while to sink in: I’m very happy but still in a state of shock! Basically I never dreamed that this season could go so well, particularly after we got off to such a shaky start in Portugal. But from then on the whole season was a dream, and it still feels like a dream now.”

How much help has your dad Gwyndaf given you? He’s obviously a bit of a rally legend himself... “I owe so much to dad. He’s been a constant help and support: a real inspiration to me. There are so many people that I have to thank: dad first and foremost, also Ford and Pirelli for helping me come up through the ranks: without all of these people I wouldn’t have anything. A big thanks to Phil Pugh as well: once he came on board as my co-driver it was brilliant and we clicked immediately.”

How nervous were you feeling before the start of this event? “I was quite nervous to tell the truth. We had the championship lead but there was a lot riding on this and we all know how easy it is for something to go wrong, particularly when you have an event that is as tricky as this one. I already had a good lead by midday on Friday, so there was a bit of pressure to get to the finish. I was certainly extremely relieved to see the end of the last stage!”

You’ve also competed on the British Rally Championship this year in an R2 car: has this helped? “I’ve not done all the rounds of the British championship, but every bit of seat time you have in the car certainly helps, although it doesn’t help you to prepare for the individual Academy events as they’re all so different - which is one of the brilliant things about this championship.”

As your prize, you can win 13 rounds of the World Rally Championship next year in an R2 car or step up to five rounds in a Super 2000 car. What are you going to choose? “I really haven’t decided yet: they’re both fantastic prizes, aren’t they? I’m going to enjoy this moment first and then take a little bit of time to think about it. What I want is for my next move to really help drive my career forward in the world championship. And winning the Academy is a great start to that.”