Evans back to winning ways with WRC Rally Croatia dominance

Elfyn Evans stormed to victory at Rally Croatia on Sunday afternoon, moving the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver to the top of the FIA World Rally Championship standings in the process.

An error from Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville on Saturday morning had propelled the Welshman to first overall. After that, he distanced himself from M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 driver Ott Tanak to win by 27.0s in his GR Yaris Rally1.

The triumph, his first since Rally Finland in the fall of 2021 and the first of his career on an all-asphalt WRC round, elevated Evans from fifth to first in the drivers’ championship standings. After round four of 13, he leads Toyota teammate Sebastien Ogier by three points, with Tanak just one point further back in third.

After taking the win, Evans reflected on the loss of his friend and rival, Ireland’s Craig Breen, who was killed testing his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in a pre-Rally Croatia test. 

“Obviously we’ve been working towards this for a long time, but it all feels so insignificant at the moment — that’s the bottom line,” said Evans. “After the focus of the weekend, we’re all back to missing our friend now. Straightaway after coming across the finish line, that’s all we can think about. We promised Craig’s family we would enjoy the weekend, and we’ve done that. We’re all thinking of them right now.”

Winners Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin pay tribute to Ireland’s Craig Breen. McKlein/Motorsport Images

Evans’ Toyota Gazoo Racing team preserved its unbeaten Rally Croatia record, making it three wins in three events, while also increasing its WRC manufacturers’ championship lead over Hyundai Motorsport to 29 points.

The 2023 WRC season’s first all-asphalt rally delivered tremendous action, and Tanak looked set to become a real threat to Evans as he set a furious pace early on Saturday afternoon. However, a transmission issue toward the end of the penultimate leg obstructed the Estonian’s charge and he cruised to Sunday’s finish 31.6s clear of Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi.

Lappi lacked confidence on some of the dirtier sections of road, but consistency rewarded him with his first podium for Hyundai — a welcome boost after crashing out from the lead in the previous round in Mexico.

Esapekka Lappi bounced back from his Mexico crash to finish third for Hyundai. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool