Rallying-Evans leads three-way battle as new champion set to be crowned in Sardinia

Sept 30 : Welshman Elfyn Evans leads a three-way battle for the world rally title this weekend with a first-time champion sure to be crowned in Sardinia on Sunday.

Whatever the outcome on the Italian island's gravel roads, manufacturers' champions Toyota will have another winner since the experienced Evans and young challengers Sami Pajari of Finland and Sweden's Oliver Solberg are teammates.

Evans, 37, can become the first British world champion since Richard Burns in 2001 and only the third on a list that started with Colin McRae in 1995. He leads Pajari by 17 points with Solberg a further four behind and a maximum 35 still to be won. 

Solberg, 25, can become the champion son of a champion - his Norwegian father Petter taking the title with Subaru in 2003 - as well as Sweden's first since Stig Blomqvist in 1984.

Finland have had a more recent winner in double champion Kalle Rovanpera in 2022 and 2023 and Pajari, 24 and in his second full season with co-driver Marko Salminen, would be the country's ninth. The Finn has won more rallies than anyone this season - three in a row in Estonia, Finland and Paraguay.

Solberg and Evans have both won two out of 12.

FIVE-TIMES RUNNER-UP

Evans and co-driver Scott Martin have led the championship since April, and the experienced Welshman needs 19 points to end a long wait that has seen him finish runner-up five times in the last six years, but has the disadvantage of having to run first as "roadsweeper" on Friday.

"Sardinia is usually not an easy rally to open the road on, and although we might be more likely to see some rain at this time of year, which could help reduce the cleaning effect for us, we have to prepare for a demanding event like usual," said Evans.

Evans said it being the last