Toyota driver Evans has remained a strong contender in this season’s championship battle, despite not yet securing a first-place finish. However, the Welshman has finished on the podium four times and has placed within the top six in every rally of the season.
In the previous round in Latvia, Evans’ speed was not enough to compete for the victory, as he struggled with loose gravel from his second starting position right at the beginning of the competition. Evans’ biggest fear before the Rally Finland is that the leading cars will again have loose gravel to clear on the first proper day of the rally.
“If we have a dry rally, we know it cleans quite a bit and we all know how that story goes. So, we have to wait and see,” Evans reflected to RallyJournal.com last weekend during the HYAcenter Rally.
Currently, it appears that Evans’ fear is likely to be avoided. The latest forecasts predict rain in the Jyväskylä area on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
“If the roads are a bit more damp, a bit more compact then then it’s all down to having a good Friday and being in the mix.”
Evans won the Rally Finland last year. The Toyota driver is accustomed to success in the team’s home rally, as two of his career’s eight wins have been secured in Central Finland.
“It’s one of my favourite events on the calendar. I think there’s no rally like this anywhere else we go in the world. I don’t know if it’s just coincidence I’ve won it twice, but I enjoy it nonetheless,” Evans said.
Evans heads into Finland’s fast gravel rally from third place in the World Championship standings. The Welsh star is 13 points behind Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who leads the series as the season heads into its final stages.
According to Evans, both he and the entire Toyota team need to be sharp on the final days of the remaining races, where points are still up for grabs under the new system.
“I think it’s quite clear that Sundays have been the worst point for us. Sweden wasn’t so bad, but then after that, it’s Sunday. That really let us down in terms of our points haul,” Evans assessed.
The shakedown stage of the Rally Finland will be driven on Thursday morning. The competition kicks off properly on Thursday evening at the Harju city special stage.
