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Evans begins his 2020 WRC bid today

Published: 23rd January 2020 Author: Robin Roberts

Online version: https://www.wheelswithinwales.uk/evans-begins-his-2020-wrc-bid-today/

This week’s classic 23-26 January heralds not only the start of the eagerly- anticipated 2020 FIA , but also an exciting new chapter in the career of Britain’s top rally driver fromElfyn Evans and Sebastien Ogier were last week testing the Yaris Dolgellau , Elfyn WRC before Monte-Carlo rally in Col du Noyer, Evans.

After spending more than a decade with the Cumbrian-based M-Sport Ford team – winning both the British Rally Championship and, famously, Wales Rally GB in 2017 – the Welshman has now joined the rival Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team, rated by many as the sport’s foremost team.

Toyota only re-joined the WRC in 2017 with an ambitious new organisation run by four-time WRC champion , but an immediate impact saw the outfit lift the www.wheelswithinwales.uk

Manufacturers’ title in 2018 and then power Estonian ace Ott Tänak to last season’s coveted Drivers’ crown.

With Tänak switching to Hyundai for 2020, 31-year-old Evans is part of an impressive new- look Toyota squad lining up alongside six-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier his team-mate for two seasons at M-Sport in 2017 and 2018 and 19-year-old Kalle Rovanperä, one of ’s hottest young prospects.

“I’m really excited to get going,” admitted Evans, who will be joined by co-driver (right) aboard one of the trio of formidable Yaris WRCs. “Toyota has been extremely competitive in a surprisingly short space of time and has multiple World Championships to its name – I’m looking forward to being part of it.

“The competitiveness of the car is a given, but what also attracted me to make the move from M-Sport was the commitment from Toyota to the WRC programme. It looks very promising for the future.”

Now with a two-year contract safely in his pocket, the 31-year-old from Dolgellau is www.wheelswithinwales.uk

confident he can start adding to Toyota’s successes in the 13-round WRC campaign, blasting off this week in Monte Carlo and culminating ten months later in Japan.

In total, Evans will have 11 “So far, I only have one win to my name and I definitely global showdowns to want to add to that this year,” vowed the man who rediscover his winning touch finished fifth in the 2019 championship, despite missing before returning home for three rounds through a back injury sustained after a Wales Rally GB; the UK’s heavy landing when contesting a non-championship revered round on the World event in Estonia. Rally Championship calendar, While the possibility of a second victory on home soil is which in 2020 reverts to a naturally a major target, the former WRC Academy title- more traditional end-of-season winner has widened his ambitions since joining forces date between Thursday 29 with Toyota. “We want to win every rally, not just Wales October and Sunday 1 Rally GB,” he insisted. November. In readiness for the opening two rounds in Monte Carlo The event will once again be and Sweden, Evans has already tested the Yaris on the based in north Wales, with the asphalt roads of the French Alps as well as in the snowy majority of the spectacular forests of wintry Scandinavia. speed tests set on the “Everyone has been very welcoming and I found a good challenging tracks of the feeling with the car quite quickly,” he reported. Welsh forests, widely “Everything felt really nice and I was able to get some acclaimed as some of the most good understanding, so I’m now really looking to my first demanding stages on the event with Toyota. entire WRC calendar. “On the Monte, the challenge is always the range of road Full details will be confirmed conditions you can possibly face whether it’s dry, damp when the competitive route is or wet asphalt or snow or ice. We got to experience a announced later this year and real mix of conditions, which is useful as unsettled ticket sales will commence at weather is predicted for this weekend.” the same time.

Highlights of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship will return to free-to-air ITV4, www.wheelswithinwales.uk

predominantly being screened at 20:00 on Tuesday evenings after each round.