Still, one man was above the rest. His team-mate Sebastien Ogier took a maximum 35 points from the second round of the South American tour and moved to the top of the World Rally Championship standings, two points ahead of Evans.
Evans finished second in the rally and also scored the second-highest points haul on Super Sunday. In the concluding Power Stage, both Ogier and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville slipped ahead of him.
“The feelings are a bit mixed. We really struggled for pace in Paraguay and at least here we were able to show good speed. Obviously, we paid a big price for for being first on the road on Friday afternoon. Otherwise, I feel we’ve done a pretty solid job,” Evans summed up.
“I think pace has not been far away, but Seb of course is very strong and tough to beat. So yeah, of course feeling a bit mixed, but it could be worse.”
Ogier is in tremendous form in the championship, despite skipping three rallies during the season. He now has five wins to his name.
“We know how fast he is everywhere he goes, basically. That’s the reality. That’s what we’re up against. I think it’s no secret that he’s probably one of the best that ever was in this sport,” Evans praised.
“And that’s not by fluke. So you know, he’s going to take some beating over the last three rounds, but of course, we’ll give it our best shot.”
The World Rally Championship now switches to asphalt, with the season continuing in October on tarmac in Central Europe, followed by Toyota’s home roads in Japan. The rally year will conclude in Saudi Arabia in November. On asphalt, neither Ogier nor Evans will suffer from their starting positions, so a dramatic finale to the year is in store.
“Everything is open now, with two asphalt rallies next. That’s quite a different thing. We have done well on that surface before, so I am looking forward to the events,” Evans said.
