Kankkunen was in charge both in Kenya in March and a week ago in the Canary Islands. Toyota managed to win both events, and in the Canaries, the team even celebrated a 1-2-3-4 finish.
In the Canaries, the spotlight was firmly on Kalle Rovanperä, who dominated the asphalt rally in a class of his own. Elfyn Evans, the current leader of the WRC standings, received less attention, even though he comfortably added to his points tally with a third-place finish.
Evans himself admitted being disappointed with his performance, despite securing yet another podium. So far this season, the Welshman has not finished outside the top three.
“In my opinion, the start of the season has been absolutely incredible for Elfyn. He’s had a second place, a win, another win, and now this third place. I wouldn’t say he should be too disappointed,” Kankkunen chuckled.
“Of course, he was a bit disappointed in himself, but I think he delivered a great performance.”
Kankkunen believes that this season, Evans is fighting tooth and nail for the first World Championship title of his career. He already has several runner-up finishes in his trophy cabinet, so now is the time to strike. Evans leads the championship by 43 points after four rounds.
“That’s the impression I’ve got, at least. Last year, nothing really worked out for him, but now he’s really in form. I think you can see it just from his expression – this year, he’s fighting for real.”
The World Rally Championship continues with the traditional Rally Portugal from 15–18 May.
