Elfyn Evans was born into rallying. Growing up in a motorsport household in Wales, he was introduced to the sport by his father, Gwyndaf Evans, a British Rally Champion. However, it was Evans’ grandfather who first put him behind the wheel, setting him on a path that would lead to the top of world rallying.
By 18, Evans was competing in a Nissan Micra. His rapid progress led to a WRC debut in 2011, followed by a Junior WRC title in 2012. His performances earned him a full-time seat with M-Sport Ford in 2014. After a stint back in WRC2 to sharpen his skills, Evans returned to the top tier in 2017 and secured a historic breakthrough: an emotional home victory at Wales Rally GB.
In 2020, Evans moved to Toyota Gazoo Racing, a transition that transformed him into a perennial title contender. He finished as championship runner-up in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024. While the introduction of hybrid regulations in 2022 briefly hampered his rhythm, the removal of hybrid units for the 2025 season saw Evans return to the clinical form that had defined his early years with the Japanese manufacturer.
The 2025 season was arguably Evans' strongest campaign to date. Benefiting from the new technical regulations, he made a blistering start to the year. Back-to-back victories at Rally Sweden and the Safari Rally Kenya catapulted him into a commanding championship lead, which he maintained for the majority of the first half of the season.
Evans’ 2025 campaign was defined by incredible consistency; he was the only driver in the field to finish every single round inside the top six. He entered the final rounds in a three-way Toyota title fight against team-mates Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier.
The battle reached a fever pitch at the season-ending Rally Saudi Arabia. Evans arrived at the finale as the favourite, holding a slim points lead. Despite a heroic effort—including a dominant Power Stage win where he was 7.2 seconds faster than the field — the nuances of the desert terrain proved decisive. Evans finished the season as runner-up for the fifth time, falling just four points short of Ogier in one of the closest finishes in WRC history.
Despite the narrow defeat, Evans' performance was instrumental in Toyota Gazoo Racing securing its fifth consecutive Manufacturers’ Championship. As he enters the 2026 season, he remains Wales' greatest hope for a first-ever WRC drivers' title.
