Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Elfyn Evans claims first WRC title as Solberg wins Sardinia rally
Evans and Scott Martin take their first season titles after the final-stage bonus battle, while Solberg still wins the rally. WRC says the results remain subject to FIA confirmation.
Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin claimed their first World Rally Championship titles in Sardinia on October 4, after a final-stage incident cost Toyota team-mate Oliver Solberg crucial bonus points. Solberg and Elliott Edmondson still won the rally, while Evans and Martin finished fifth. WRC's official report says the results remain subject to FIA confirmation.
The rally winner and the season champion
Sunday produced two distinct achievements for Toyota. Solberg won Rally Italia Sardegna by 57.6 seconds from Sébastien Ogier, with Sami Pajari completing the podium. Adrien Fourmaux finished fourth, ahead of Evans. The overall rally classification reflects the crews' accumulated times for that event; the drivers' championship is settled by points across the season.
Evans' earlier results had given him a lead to defend. Winning the season therefore did not require him to finish first in Sardinia. Solberg's late mistake changed the championship outcome without overturning his overall rally victory, an important distinction when comparing a final-stage highlight with the full result.
How the final-stage contest took shape
Evans suffered a front-right puncture on the penultimate stage and stopped to change the wheel. The delay removed him from the provisional Super Sunday bonus-point positions. Autosport reported that his championship advantage over Solberg had narrowed to a single point before the final Power Stage.
Evans completed his run before Solberg. WRC reported that Solberg was 1.9 seconds ahead of Evans' time with a little over one kilometre remaining, before sliding off near the finish. Solberg recovered, returned to the road and completed the stage. The lost time denied him the final-stage bonus points he needed.
Why one stage could decide the title
The WRC awards points for the overall rally result and additional points through two separate Sunday competitions. Its published 2026 scoring guide lists 25 points for a rally victory and 10 for fifth place, with up to five more for the Super Sunday classification and up to five for the Power Stage.
That structure lets a brief final test matter beyond the rally's finishing order. Solberg had built a large enough overall advantage to remain the event winner after his mistake, but the bonus-point contest was still live. Evans' earlier puncture and Solberg's late excursion therefore affected the title fight at different moments.
A first title after five runner-up seasons
Evans had finished second in the world championship five times before this breakthrough. He now becomes the first British driver to claim the title since Richard Burns in 2001. Martin shares the milestone as the winning co-driver, while Edmondson shares Solberg's Sardinia rally victory.
The result closes a season in which Evans led the standings for much of the year before his advantage shrank in the second half. WRC noted the road-cleaning burden he faced in Sardinia. His fifth place came after a difficult finale; the championship rewards the full campaign, with official confirmation still pending.
