Elfyn Evans has explained what led to his first World Rally Championship retirement in 19 events.
Evans led the championship into Safari Rally Kenya and was running third after 12 of the rally’s 12 stages, despite a double puncture on Elmenteita 1.
However Sleeping Warrior 1 would prove the Welshman’s downfall as the rear-right corner of his Toyota let go and left him and co-driver Scott Martin stranded.
It was their first retirement since they rolled and couldn’t repair the car at Acropolis Rally Greece in September 2024.
“The morning started pretty well and things were going fine in the second stage of the loop as well but unfortunately a new layout at the end of the stage caught us out a bit, [and we] picked up a double puncture,” Evans explained.
“We managed to fit another tire then to start the next stage, but it looks like there was more damage caused by the impact of the rock. And yeah, coming to the first braking of the last stage of the loop, the rear suspension gave way at that moment – or something at the rear anyway – and yeah, that’s where it ended, unfortunately.”
After getting out of the car to assess the damage, Evans said he knew immediately that the damage couldn’t be fixed.
“As I came into the first braking I felt something let go,” he added, “and I had no grip at all, but of course we entered this very extreme muddy section. It felt like I was going nowhere and it didn’t feel normal but at the same time it was really impossible to judge how bad things were.
“Obviously the next long straight was the point it was clear that something major was very wrong and then we started to communicate with the team then.”
Reflecting on his run of consistency coming to an end, Evans said: “I think we can be happy to have had a long run of events without retirements. And of course, this always comes as a huge disappointment. But, you know, you have to put it down to one of them things and move on.”
Evans’ retirement became less costly in terms of his championship with Oliver Solberg and Sébastien Ogier both retiring from first and second place after the stage he stopped on.
