Evans already struggled in Portugal earlier this month, where he had to run first on the road on Friday, clearing the loose gravel for those behind. In Sardinia, the infamous “road-sweeper” role is typically even more punishing.
On Friday, the Welshman will face six special stages totalling 120 competitive kilometres. The morning loop, with its first passes through the stages, is expected to be particularly demanding for the championship leader.
“After a bit of a frustrating rally in Portugal we certainly want to be stronger in Sardinia. It’s a similar rally in some ways and maybe a bit more demanding in others,” Evans said.
However, Evans pointed out a subtle improvement that could work in his favour. Unlike Portugal, where Friday’s itinerary was long and featured only remote services, Sardinia will include a traditional midday service break, splitting the day into two loops of three stages.
“We will also have the challenge again of running first on the road on Friday, although the more typical schedule should hopefully help in that respect,” he noted.
Evans also admitted that Toyota is still lacking some gravel performance, and with limited testing days, finding rapid solutions remains difficult.
“We’re still looking for some more performance on this type of rally, and with the limited testing available it’s not easy to find an immediate solution, but we’re going to give it our best like always and try to come away with as many points as we can.”
Rally Sardinia kicks off on Thursday afternoon with the shakedown. The full event includes 16 special stages, covering a total of approximately 320 competitive kilometres.
