The event, held in Córdoba, Spain, served as a test rally for both Evans and Neuville ahead of the WRC Rally Islas Canarias at the end of this month.
Neuville and Evans competed on the Spanish national championship side of the event and set top times throughout the weekend.
However, before reaching the finish, both drivers withdrew from the rally. It was a traditional gentlemanly gesture to ensure that the regular competitors of the national series could celebrate on the podium as rally winners. Spanish driver Jose Suarez claimed victory in the national event by a margin of 40 seconds over Javier Pardo Siota.
Neuville had the upper hand over Evans, who currently leads the WRC standings, and managed to post faster times than the Welshman.
However, Neuville did have a close call on Sunday. His Hyundai almost slid into a guardrail in a right-hand corner. The rear of the car went off the asphalt, but fortunately for the Belgian, the guardrail had already taken a hit earlier, allowing Neuville to avoid major damage.
Neuville and Evans were expectedly setting the pace throughout the rally, but the opening round winner of the European Rally Championship, Nikolay Gryazin, managed to surprise them both on Saturday’s final stage.
Competing under the Bulgarian flag, the Russian ultimately secured a clear victory in the season opener. He beat Frenchman Yoann Bonato by 46 seconds.
The next round of the World Rally Championship, Rally Islas Canarias, will take place on 24–27 April.
