Elfyn Evans, driver of the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, stated that the race for the World Rally Championship (WRC) title remains «very open» following the announcement of the cancellation of Rally Saudi Arabia. This decision means the season will end with one less round, specifically in Sardinia next month.
The cancellation of the Rally, scheduled from November 11 to 14, is due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region, which has forced the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and organizers to cancel this event. No replacement for the canceled event has been planned.
With this new situation, Evans, a five-time runner-up, positions himself as the favorite to achieve his first WRC title, as he currently has a 17-point lead over his teammate, Sami Pajari, and a 21-point lead over the winner of the Rally of Chile, Oliver Solberg.
With 35 points still at stake in the gravel stages of Sardinia, Evans warns that the competition is not over and that his strategy cannot change. «We cannot afford the luxury of thinking that it is all done. The reality is that anything can happen and we have to keep fighting as if it were any other round,» he commented.
Evans expressed his support for the decision to cancel Rally Saudi Arabia for safety reasons, although from a sporting perspective, the cancellation has disrupted his plans. «One less round means things will be more complicated, but we must not let our guard down,» he added.
After the cancellation, there has been speculation about the possibility of replacing the lost event with another like the Rally Catalunya in Spain. Evans stated that he would be happy with this option, although its implementation has seemed impossible for the authorities.
The CEO of WRC, Eric Boullier, also acknowledged the difficulty of finding a suitable substitute, emphasizing that safety must be the number one priority. Now the drivers, including Evans, must focus on the last opportunity of the season in Sardinia, knowing that a solid performance will be essential to secure the title.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_c46c915d8695202b0912abf6b3370a878a280dfc