Three rounds into last year’s World Rally Championship season, Elfyn Evans had 17 points to his name.
At the same point in 2023, his tally is nearly three times as high.
In a year where he knew he needed a better start to keep the pressure on in the title race, the Toyota driver has delivered just that. And in the process, rediscovered the trait that always made him a title contender.
Consistency.
While Hyundai floundered with an uncompetitive start, Kalle Rovanperä was able to build a huge lead from the very start of 2022’s championship chase as his team-mate Evans, uncharacteristically, suffered two offs in as many rallies.
So while Rovanperä collected 17 points from the Monte and another 29 from Sweden, Evans had just four points on the board thanks to second on the Monte Carlo powerstage.
And as Rovanperä won again in Croatia, lady luck deserted Evans who punctured on the first stage and therefore had little more to achieve than fifth. It was at least a points finish, but by then he was already 59 points down on the runaway leader – essentially two maximum scores down after just three rallies.
This season, at the same point, just eight points split Rovanperä and Evans, and Evans’ deficit to the championship leader is a far healthier 12.
He’s firmly in the race, all because he’s managed to build a string of points finishes early into his campaign.
Even in the M-Sport Ford years when he was building himself up to be a championship challenger, Evans was always a consistent points scorer. If he had one non-score, he’d always bounce back with a finish on the next round.
So for all the talk of Evans’ struggles to initially get to grips with the GR Yaris Rally1, it was his two accidents in a row that really surprised last year.
“Yeah, I think that’s maybe where we lost our head a little bit last year,” Evans told DirtFish when it was pointed out to him how important it is that he’s right in the thick of the title race.
“It was always my strength to keep plucking away with consistent results. So we need to get back to that, but also it’s true that when you want to win championships, you have to win stages, rallies, powerstages as well at times.
“You don’t have to win them all, but it’s still the case. We still have work to do towards that.”
Rally México was a great step towards that though, as he was all set for second place after repelling Thierry Neuville’s advances, only for a broken suspension arm to cost him fractionally too much time.
His confidence therefore is back where it needs to be.
“Yeah, it’s definitely moving in directions on all fronts I think,” Evans said.
“My driving is better suited to the car now I feel and even the setup is coming to me also a bit better.
“Of course there’s still work to do but at least we’re moving in the right direction.”
Next week’s Croatia Rally hasn’t been the kindest to Evans in the past, though.
Although he led the rally heading onto the final stage in 2021, a mistake on the last proper corner allowed team-mate Sébastien Ogier to sneak through and defeat him by a scant 0.6s.
And then last year that first stage puncture wrecked any hopes of an eye-catching result.
This year, although the title race is incredibly close with just nine points separating Neuville in second and Evans in fifth, road position could work against the Welshman.
“I hope so,” Evans said when asked if the target was to win in Croatia.
“It wasn’t a good rally for us last year. Road position is a bit better this year, but still not really fantastic to be honest.
“It’s very close amongst everybody and of course I am at the tail end of that queue. There’s only I think nine points separating myself and Thierry [so] ultimately it’s close and all to play for.
“But of course, the road position would have helped to be up a bit further for Croatia.”
