Elfyn Evans becomes first Welshman to win Wales Rally GB as Ogier wins title

Elfyn Evans is the son of former British rally champion Gwyndaf

Elfyn Evans won the Wales Rally GB as Frenchman Sebastien Ogier finished third to claim his fifth consecutive world championship title.

Evans is the first Welshman to win the event, and the first British driver since Richard Burns in 2000.

It was also the Welshman's maiden World Rally Championship event win with Thierry Neuville 37.3 seconds behind and Ogier a further 7.9sec back.

Northern Ireland's Kris Meeke followed up his Spain win by coming in seventh.

"I'm feeling on top of the world," tweeted Evans from Dolgellau in north Wales.

The 28-year-old had already had his most successful WRC season after finishing second in Argentina and Finland.

He returned to the elite ranks this year after losing his WRC drive in 2016.

Incredible win

Sebastien Ogier won the first of his consecutive world titles in 2013

Ogier's third place finish was enough for him to claim the world title with one round still to go in Australia.

"I don't know what to say... It's been a tough year but to end it like this is just incredible!" Ogier tweeted.

"All our titles mean a lot, but this one came after a very hard fight. We had to take risks. It hasn't been an easy one to grab."

Ogier, who drives a Ford Fiesta, has an unassailable 215 points, ahead of Belgian Neuville (183) and his Estonian team-mate Ott Tanak (169).