DOLGELLAU’S Elfyn Evans had mixed feelings after battling to a second place finish at Rally Croatia over the weekend.
The 35-year-old who said: “There’s a feeling of disappointment today.
“It started off pretty well in the first stage this morning, but we were too optimistic with our tyre choice and with the hard tyre it was a struggle in the second stage: this corner was quite full of mud and the rear came around.
“You’ve got to be in it to win it and it didn’t work out today.
“Still, the weekend was generally pretty good with a big fight the whole way through and second place at the end.
“It’s a great team result and nice to battle with Seb.
“It doesn’t feel like the team has been fully rewarded for that one-two in terms of points, but that’s how it is.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team snatched a one-two finish on the Croatia Rally after a dramatic finale to a thrilling event, with Sébastien Ogier taking victory over team-mate Elfyn Evans.
TGR-WRT maintains its 100 per cent winning record on the demanding asphalt event since it joined the FIA World Rally Championship calendar in 2021.
The stages around the Croatian capital Zagreb once more delivered challenging conditions and close competition, with less than 10 seconds separating the top two in the overall standings throughout the weekend.
Evans was tied for the lead with his main championship rival Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) after Friday, with Ogier just 6.6s back after a stunning final stage time helped him claw back much of the time lost from running on dirtier roads further back in the pack.
The TGR duo kept the pressure on until the final day and a dramatic second stage of the morning in which both Neuville and Evans lost time with incidents.
A clean run for Ogier allowed him to claim the lead, while Evans survived his spin without major damage to continue in second overall.
Through two more stages, Ogier held on to claim the 59th victory and 100th podium of his WRC career.
He and co-driver Vincent Landais ultimately finished 9.7s ahead of Evans and Scott Martin.
With a third podium from four rounds and by outscoring his main rival on Sunday, Evans remains just six points from the drivers’ championship leader Neuville.
Takamoto Katsuta improved his pace and confidence throughout the event alongside co-driver Aaron Johnston.
He topped the separate Super Sunday classification, having won both passes through the Trakošćan – Vrbno test, and climbed up to finish fifth overall.
Thanks to the efforts of all three crews across the weekend, TGR-WRT continues to lead the manufacturers’ standings by an increased margin of seven points.
Team principal Jari-Matti Latvala said: “This has been an incredible rally with a fantastic result at the end of it for our team.
“After Saturday, I was not sure if we could win because Neuville looked strong, but this morning the attack of Elfyn in the first stage gave us hope.
“What happened next with both Thierry and Elfyn losing time was something we didn’t wish to happen, but it meant that Seb was suddenly in the lead and could take the victory.
“It was very dramatic but this is rallying, and you have not secured anything until you are really over the finish line.
“It also shows how great our sport can be with such a close battle for the podium places until the final day.
“It’s Seb’s 100th podium, which is an incredible number: for him to come in after almost three months away and end up winning the event, it just shows why he is an eight-time world champion and it’s great to have him in our team.”
Up next is the popular Rally de Portugal (9-12 May) based in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country and features classic stages on sandy and rocky roads.