Evans has made a fantastic start to the season and already holds a clear lead in the drivers’ championship after just two rounds. He has accumulated 61 championship points from the first two rallies, while his teammate Kalle Rovanperä is already 30 points behind him.
Evans was in strong form in the season-opening Rally Monte Carlo, where only his teammate Sebastien Ogier – the undisputed king of Monte – managed to beat him.
Expectations for Evans were not as high in Rally Sweden as they were in Monte, but the Welshman delivered a dominant victory on the snow. With teammate Takamoto Katsuta securing second place, Hyundai was left completely out of contention.
Thierry Neuville, last season’s WRC champion, openly admits he has been very impressed by Evans’ strong start to the year.
“Everything has been amazing for him,” Neuville admitted.
“I mean, he was good in Monte Carlo, which wasn’t a surprise because he has always been good on tarmac and in Monte Carlo overall. But this weekend (in Sweden), he stood out,” Neuville continued.
Evans adapted best to Hankook’s new winter tyres in Sweden and delivered an almost flawless weekend.
“He had good conditions on the first pass on Friday, definitely, and he made the best out of it because he understood that this was where he had to make the difference since he would lose time in the afternoon. And still, he had a great afternoon in those conditions, keeping the lead,” Neuville analysed.
During the hybrid era, Evans struggled to find his best form, but since the removal of hybrid units, he has seemed more comfortable with his car and has achieved strong results. He has also appeared to adapt better than most to WRC’s new tyre supplier, Hankook.
“Hats off for his performance. No real mistakes, I think he had one moment, but he got away with it. And that’s part of rallying,” Neuville praised Evans.
