Elfyn Evans faced a turbulent weekend at Rally Islas Canarias as he grappled with conflicting emotions about his performance. The championship leader managed to extend his lead despite finishing behind a competitor in the same car. Evans expressed disappointment at not being able to close the gap to the front, citing changes made at the start of the weekend that did not yield the desired results.
While Evans maintained his podium streak, his struggles to match the pace of his teammates, Sebastian Ogier and Kalle Rovanperä, were evident. Rovanperä’s resurgence added pressure on Evans, who acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead in the upcoming gravel rallies. The Welsh driver admitted to lacking confidence in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 compared to previous events, attributing the performance gap to driving style differences.
Despite his concerns, Evans recognized the importance of widening his championship lead, which now stands at 43 points. The upcoming Rally Portugal poses a new challenge for Evans, who will need to overcome his confidence issues to fend off competition from Rovanperä and others in the championship race. Toyota’s continued testing ahead of Rally Portugal indicates a proactive approach to address performance issues and support Evans in maintaining his lead in the championship battle.