Evans, who pilots a GR Yaris for Toyota
Gazoo Racing, starts this 11th round of the FIA World Rally
Championship 33 points adrift of leading team-mate Kalle Rovanperä. A result of
eighth or higher for him would guarantee the title fight continues.
Just 0.5sec split the title-hunting duo after
multiple passes of the 5.75km Bio Bío shakedown stage near to the Concepcion
service park, with Evans setting the benchmark on his second and penultimate
run.
“It was quite okay,” said Evans.
“There's
quite a difference in the conditions this week, especially from Friday to
Saturday, so it will be quite difficult to make a call in terms of [car] set-up."
Chile is hosting a WRC round for just the
second time and the rally route has been changed dramatically since it debuted
in 2019.
Its flowing forest roads and picturesque landscapes
are already proving popular amongst the drivers. M-Sport Ford Puma driver Pierre
Louis Loubet, who finished shakedown 1.1sec down on Evans in third, said: “It
looks very nice. The stages are very enjoyable so I hope we will enjoy this
rally.”
Teemu Suninen, in action for the first time
since Secto Rally Finland in August, was the highest-placed Hyundai i20 N
driver in fourth. He headed Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta by two-tenths of a second
while Thierry Neuville, also driving a Hyundai, was a single tenth further
back.
Ott Tänak won the event in 2019 but could
only muster the seventh-best time in his Puma ahead of Esapekka Lappi. Grégoire
Munster and Alberto Heller, both making their maiden starts aboard Rally1
machinery completed the top 10.