Power Stage title decider
Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin secured their first World Rally Championship title on Sunday at Rally Italia Sardegna. The championship battle came down to the final 7.1-kilometre Wolf Power Stage after a puncture in the penultimate test reduced Evans's points lead over Oliver Solberg. Evans ran first through the stage and completed his run, leaving Solberg needing to beat him to claim the points required for the crown. Solberg was 1.9 seconds faster than Evans with just over one kilometre remaining before sliding off the track into a sandy bank two corners from the finish. The 25-year-old Swedish driver recovered to finish the stage and won the rally overall by 57.6 seconds over Sebastien Ogier, but lost the top-five stage bonus points necessary to overhaul Evans.
Evans described his reaction after watching the final stage conclude from the service area.
It hasn't sunk in. I was sure it was over. I didn't drive the best stage but threw everything at it but it wasn't clean. I feel for Oliver. He had an incredible weekend.
Penultimate stage turnaround
Evans entered the Italian event, which served as the season finale after Rally Saudi Arabia was cancelled due to regional conflict, holding a 21-point lead over Solberg and a 17-point lead over Sami Pajari. Solberg took the rally lead on Saturday and started Sunday with a 33.6-second advantage over the field. The title fight shifted on the penultimate stage when Evans suffered a front-right tire puncture and stopped to change the wheel. That delay left Evans fifth overall, 4 minutes and 48 seconds behind Solberg, making the title dependent entirely on the final stage result.
- Solberg builds a 33.6-second lead over the field entering the final day
- Evans loses time stopping to change a punctured front-right wheel
- Evans completes his run on the 7.1-kilometer Power Stage
- Solberg slides off track two corners from the finish line
Standings and British championship records
The final standings concluded with Evans on 243 points, Solberg as runner-up on 238 points, and Pajari in third on 237 points. Evans, 37, had finished as championship runner-up five times in the prior six years, including three title losses decided on the final day and two after leading entering the finale. His triumph ends a 25-year wait for a British WRC champion, making him the third British male driver to win the title after Colin McRae in 1995 and Richard Burns in 2001. Louise Aitken-Walker previously won the 1990 women's WRC title.
Toyota podium sweep and regulation changes
Toyota Gazoo Racing locked out the podium in Alghero, with Solberg in first, Ogier in second, and Pajari in third, having already wrapped up the manufacturers' championship. Italian competitors Roberto Daprà, Trentin, and Ledda also completed the rally despite punctures. In the supporting categories, Lancia Corse HF secured the WRC2 Team world championship during their first season back in the series. The Sardinian round marked the final WRC event held on the island before the Italian round moves to the Rally di Roma Capitale in 2027, as well as the conclusion of the Rally1 technical regulations.