As has been the case all weekend, winter conditions met the crews on the final day – with road evolution so extreme that Rally3 driver Matteo Fontana incredibly managed to win the opening test of the day.
But for the Rally1 runners, Evans and Adrien Fourmaux have emerged as the top candidates for the Super Sunday points – the pair sharing the same time on SS14.
Evans beat Fourmaux by 7.5s on SS15, which featured the famous Col de Turini, to establish that same gap overall, with rally leader Solberg third on Super Sunday.
That’s despite a spin at a left-hand hairpin on SS15; the Swede unable to turn the front of the car in and reversing before heading back on his way.
“I had a small spin, it’s so easy to do,” Solberg said. “Nothing serious, just a small spin and it’s OK. In this position when you’re leading by a lot, I can’t say it’s fantastic to be on this snow…”
Fourmaux meanwhile faced the unusual sight of his team-mate ahead; Thierry Neuville stopping to change a puncture just 0.1km onto SS15 after he clipped something.
“We touched something on the first corner,” Neuville explained. “I had nothing in my notes so there must be something I didn’t see. We immediately stopped for a puncture, so on three studs on one snow it was not that easy, but we are here.”
Fourmaux caught up with Neuville but the Belgian quickly got out of his way.
“We did not lose time with him at all,” Fourmaux confirmed. “I was just a little bit disturbed because in all the hairpins I was seeing him come back.”
They’re fourth and fifth overall, with Sébastien Ogier third. The nine-time champion hasn’t had his greatest weekend and is taking it steady on Sunday, fourth in the Super Sunday standings.
“Not fun, we just try to survive,” Ogier said. “I just try to finish this rally – it wasn’t the most fun of my career but sometimes it’s like this.”
Jon Armstrong is on course for the final Super Sunday bonus point as he remains sixth overall, while M-Sport team-mate Grégoire Munster retired on the road section before Sunday’s first stage.
