Toyota driver Evans was in the battle for the lead at the start of the day. However, on the second special stage of the morning, his Toyota suffered a driveshaft failure, dropping him over six minutes behind the leader.
Evans’s car required such extensive repairs during the break that he was penalised with two minutes and 40 seconds of time penalties, pushing him out of points contention.
The first conditional points of the weekend were up for grabs on Saturday evening for the top ten finishers. With no points on offer for Evans, he skipped the final time control and headed straight to the service area.
By doing so, Evans avoided media obligations and could start his preparations earlier for Sunday, where there are still plenty of points available. Officially, Evans’s retirement was recorded as “mechanical failure.”
Without Saturday’s troubles, Evans could have closed the gap to championship leader Thierry Neuville in the title race. The pair were separated by 13 points before the Rally Finland. As it stands, Neuville is set to extend his championship lead.
On Sunday, the Rally Finland will feature four special stages. Points will be awarded to the seven fastest drivers of the day, and additional points will be distributed to the top five on the concluding Power Stage.
