Rally Argentina driver report: part 1
How did the WRC drivers fare in Argentina?
Evans unleashed
Welshman Elfyn Evans will have the freedom to fight for a top-five place on the upcoming Rally Italia Sardegna, the event on which he made a surprise World Rally Car debut 12 months ago.
Evans was offered a last-minute entry in 2013 after the withdrawal of Qatar M-Sport driver Nasser Al-Attiyah. Despite only a few days notice, and rules that stipulated he must use Al-Attiyah’s Italian co-driver Giovanni Bernacchini, Evans impressed by finishing sixth in a Ford Fiesta RS.
Now with seven development rallies in the Fiesta under his belt, most recently a controlled drive to seventh in Argentina, M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson says 25-year-old Evans will be allowed to push a little harder.
“For sure he’ll be more off the leash in Sardinia than he was in Argentina,” Wilson told wrc.com.
“It’s the first rally he will have done twice in the car - although the first time wasn’t ideal. He really was thrown in the deep end last year, with no notice and having to use an unfamiliar co-driver as well, so it wasn’t the ideal training for him.
“But on the other hand at least he’s been to the rally and he’s got an understanding of it. His target is to achieve a better result than he did last year. Simple as that,” he added.
Because 60 per cent of this year’s stages are unchanged from 2013, Evans expects to be able to reuse most of his pace notes after checking them on the recce.
