Gilbert dominates Junior WRC in Monte-Carlo
Frenchman takes comfortable victory in opening round
Pryce eyes Evans' rise to top
Elfyn Evans’ climb to the top of the WRC provides the inspiration for fellow Welshman Osian Pryce as he prepares for his biggest career step at Vodafone Rally de Portugal (21 - 24 May).
Pryce will debut his Citroën DS 3 R3-MAX in the Junior WRC and WRC 3 categories at the season’s opening European gravel round, and admits he wants to emulate the 2012 junior champion, who claimed his first outright podium in Argentina last month.
“Elfyn’s done an incredible job,” said 22-year-old Pryce. “To be driving a works Ford Fiesta RS WRC for the M-Sport team is, I’ll be honest, what we’re all aiming at.
“It’s such a boost for Welsh rallying to see a guy like Elfyn making that final step up into the world of professional driving in the World Rally Championship.
“That’s exactly where I want to be and what we’re doing this season is the next step on the road to getting where Elfyn is,” he added.
Pryce was runner-up in the British Championship in 2013 and 2014, and impressed at last year’s Wales Rally GB when he fought for the class lead during a one-off appearance in a Ford Fiesta R5 (below).
However, the 22-year-old acknowledged the step-up to Junior WRC won’t be easy.
“Yes, it could be a bit daunting that this is our first world championship event abroad, but at the end of the day we’re going to be in our Citroen DS 3, a car we know inside-out,” he said.
