Thierry Neuville felt relieved when Elfyn Evans claimed the World Rally Championship title in dramatic fashion last weekend.
Evans claimed the 2026 title by five points over his Toyota team-mate Solberg, but started the final stage of the season virtually level with him in the championship – creating a winner-takes-all showdown on the Rally Italy Sardinia powerstage.
Solberg was 1.9 seconds up on Evans at the final split before he plunged off the road within sight of the finish and relinquished the title to Evans.
All of the Rally1 drivers and co-drivers were watching the action unfold live alongside Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, including Neuville who – like Evans – has finished second in the World Rally Championship five times before becoming champion.
“I don’t know,” Neuville told DirtFish, “somehow I was feeling like something wasn’t correct when I saw Oliver was going faster than Elfyn and I start to realize that actually Elfyn is the one who really deserves that victory.
“Obviously his family was there, the children, the wife, the parents, so I don’t know there was a little bit of a relief when we saw that Elfyn won the championship.
“On the other hand, I’m obviously very disappointed for Oliver as well. He was all in this weekend and it nearly paid. So well done to him as well for putting the foot on the floor and going as hard as he could.”
Asked whether his opnion is based on Evans facing the handicap of opening the road on all the gravel rounds that closed out the season, and because he’d come second so many previous times, Neuville added: “Yeah, I mean, he lost it last year on a puncture and he nearly lost it this year on the puncture again.
“I mean, he has been many times so close. I know how it feels to be that close and losing out on just a few details. So he definitely deserved this year’s title.
“He was running first the whole year. He was battling… I mean, remember Chile Sunday. He did a great race and he just got punished by a puncture again. So in the worst possible scenario, he got cancelled one round as well. So [I’m] happy for him.”
There was universal praise for Evans from his rivals, including Solberg who said “Elfyn clearly deserves it”.
Even Toyota chairperson Akio Toyoda confessed he was quietly cheering on Evans.
“I’d like to send three messages to Elfyn and Scott, who have finally become world champions: congratulations, thank you, and sorry,” said Toyoda.
“Since joining the Toyota Gazoo Racing family in 2020, Elfyn has finished just one place short of the championship five times, including three consecutive seasons from 2023 onwards. After so many seasons of coming painfully close, he has finally achieved the title he has worked so hard for. Congratulations, Elfyn. You really deserve it!
“Of course, I can’t really say that out loud. Publicly, I have to say that I want all our drivers to win. But if I’m being honest, this year I was cheering for Elfyn. Sorry, Sami and Oliver, but I simply couldn’t let Elfyn and Scott end up second again. Elfyn, congratulations. Truly, truly congratulations!
“The ‘thank you’ is for everything Elfyn and Scott have done for the team over the years. Those five second-place championship finishes are proof of how consistently they have delivered points. Thanks to the points they contributed season after season, Toyota Gazoo Racing has been able to keep winning manufacturers’ titles.
“Their contribution goes far beyond points. At the final round of the 2020 season, with the drivers’ championship on the line, Elfyn and Scott went off the road. Afterwards, they shared information with the team about sections where grip was particularly low. Thanks to that information, Séb was able to secure the championship.
“They are the kind of drivers who always think not only about themselves, but about the team as well. Thank you both, truly! (And I think everyone can now understand why I was cheering for Elfyn.)
“The ‘sorry’ is because I couldn’t be there with them during the fight for the championship. Whenever I was there, Elfyn has almost always delivered a strong result: four victories and three second-place finishes. That’s why I wanted to be there for the rally where he could become champion. Sorry to the other drivers, but I was planning to go to Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, my schedule didn’t allow me to attend Sardinia, so I’m relieved that he was able to clinch the title there.
“Oliver and Elliott also fought incredibly hard right to the very end. Let’s keep pushing together next year!”
Toyota’s rival, Hyundai, was equally impressed with Evans in 2026.
Hyundai Motorsport president Cyril Abiteboul told DirtFish: “I would like to put on record the fantastic congratulations to Elfyn and the whole Toyota team. It’s just a fantastic outcome to a great championship.
“They’ve absolutely been mega this season, all Toyota, obviously very, very strong competitors. And we’ve been honored and very blessed to race against them and very happy also for Elfyn. Well deserved and a fantastic outcome for the sport as a whole.”
