The new points system showed its harsh side once again, as Hyundai’s Ott Tänak, who won the rally, ended up with fewer points than second-placed Evans.
Evans was naturally disappointed that the victory slipped away, but the Welshman wasn’t overly upset. And there was no reason to be.
“Not the weekend we really wanted. But at the same time, not so bad in the end. Obviously, we take the maximum points away from the weekend, so it’s not all bad,” Evans said.
“Maybe on some stages, we weren’t quite as fast as we would have liked to be, but on others it was fine. But when you take the most points, you can’t be too dissatisfied,” Evans continued.
In the manufacturers’ championship fight, Hyundai still maintained a strong lead over Toyota. When the season’s final race in Japan begins in November, the teams will be separated by 15 points.
“Of course, it’s a disappointment. But it’s still all open. Anything can happen. We just have to focus on doing a good job in Japan,” Evans said.
Japan is Toyota’s home rally. Naturally, it would be nice to succeed there.
“We’re all looking forward to going there. We’ve had good events there in the past, and we’ve had bad events there in the past. So, definitely hoping for a repeat of last year. Maybe just not the weather,” Evans laughed.
