Elfyn Evans: World Rally title 'unlikely' this season, says Welsh driver

Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott MartinGetty Images

Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin finished fourth at Rally Finland earlier in August

Elfyn Evans admits his hopes of winning a first World Rally Championship are more or less over for this season.

Evans, 33, has missed out on the title in the past two years, finishing runner-up to Sebastien Ogier.

The Welsh driver is currently fourth in the championship table, 104 points behind leader and Toyota Gazoo team-mate Kalle Rovanpera, with five rallies remaining.

"Realistically the championship is out of reach," he said.

"It's very unlikely now that something will stop Kalle with the form he's been in this year, and the sets of results he's managed to obtain.

"It's a fight for second place that nobody wants to be in, but if that's the fight then that's the fight."

Both Evans and Rovanpera joined Toyota Gazoo in 2020.

The 21-year-old Finnish driver finished in fifth position in his first season with the team, before a fourth-placed finish last season.

"His talent was there to see from the beginning on his career," Evans told BBC Sport Wales.

"Now with a couple of years of experience under his belt, he's managed to pull everything together.

"He deserves to win that title with the performances he's put in this year."

Evans hopes to finish the season strongly, beginning with the Ypres Rally Belgium, which starts on Friday.

He is aiming to build on his performances in Rally Kenya and Rally Estonia where he finished second, before a fourth-placed finish at Rally Finland.

"Overall it hasn't been an horrific set of results," Evans said.

"There are areas we can improve on, and hopefully we can use the upcoming rallies to work on those, and of course to do the best job for the team to help support the manufacturer's title bid."

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