World Rally Championship: Will it be fifth time lucky for Elvin Evans?

The former Seat and Ford driver is part of the Toyota team that has already won the World Manufacturers’ Championship for the fifth year in a row.

As often happens in motorsport, Evans’ teammates are also his closest rivals.

Rovanpera is the youngest world champion ever after winning back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.

Now 25 and in his final season before leaving the World Rally Championship to take on new challenges, the Finn has won three rallies this year and will be ready to pounce on any mistakes from his teammate.

The 41-year-old Ogier is looking to equal Sébastien Loeb’s record of nine World Rally Championship titles. The Frenchman has won five rallies this season and led the championship before suffering an accident in the Central European Rally last month to give the advantage back to the Welshman.

Despite the competition, Evans says relations are good.

“We all get along well in the team,” he explained.

“Rallying is unique in that we are racing against the clock and not against each other physically on the track.

“It usually means we’re getting a little better in the backfield and the team has a very good atmosphere overall.

“Everything is shared between the drivers, so everything is very open and we tend to try to race on stages, so we usually get a good lead.”

Evans has been competing against the best over the years. If he can join his teammates as world champions, the achievement will be massive.

Fourteen years after his first World Rally Championship race, he is closer to glory than ever before.

Evans hopes that the journey that began in Dolgellau will end in Jeddah via Japan.