ELFYN Evans returned to the FIA World Rally Championship podium with an impressive second place finish in the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round six of this year’s World Rally Championship series.

It was the first time that the 29-year-old, from Dinas Mawddwy, and co-driver Daniel Barritt have stood on the podium since sensationally winning last October’s momentous Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, to become the first Welsh driver ever to win a World Championship stage outright.

By his own admission, though, Evans has struggled to build on that famous home success, despite being promoted at the start of this year to the main M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, alongside multiple World Champion Sébastien Ogier.

Punctures in Monte Carlo and Sweden, and a major accident when challenging for top honours in Mexico, have not got his campaign off to a convincing start.

A turn around started with top six finishes in both France and Argentina plus, now, a strong second place on the tricky Portuguese gravel roads - the 29 year-old’s sixth career WRC podium and by far his best result of the 2018 season to date.

These more promising results now give the M-Sport driver a major confidence boost in the run-up to the second half of the 2018 season and, of course, to his home event in Wales in early October.

“This result was well overdue really,” admitted the Ford Fiesta WRC pilot.

“We had high expectations after ending last year in such a positive manner but, as everyone knows, our season hasn’t got off to the best of starts – so I’m happy with this result, and a bit relieved if I’m honest!

“Hopefully, this will turn the tide, and be a sign of more positive things to come.

“We knew coming to Portugal that we needed to get some strong points on the board - for the team and for us as well. So to come away with second place was good, but it wasn’t perfect, and there are some areas where we can still improve.

“I wasn’t entirely happy with my driving through all of the stages, but it’s certainly alleviated pressure and we go to the next round in a positive frame of mind.”

By finishing runner-up to series leader Thierry Neuville, Evans has moved up to seventh in the Drivers’ Championship and the points bagged helped to promote his title-defending M-Sport Ford WRT team into second place in the Manufacturers’ Championship after six of 13 rounds.

Thierry Neuville won Vodafone Rally De Portugal on Sunday afternoon to swing the FIA World Rally Championship pendulum firmly in his favour.

Victory at the gruelling four-day dirt road encounter promoted the Belgian to the top of the standings as the series approaches its midpoint. After starting 10 points behind reigning champion Sébastien Ogier, he has a 19-point advantage.

He steered his Hyundai i20 away from trouble during a weekend of attrition that sidelined many frontrunners to win by 40.0sec from Elfyn Evans’ Ford Fiesta.

Teemu Suninen helped erase the frustration of Seb Ogier’s blank weekend in the M-Sport Ford squad by claiming his maiden podium, 7.3sec behind Evans.

The action now switches to the rugged, sun-baked tracks of Sardinia with three further rallies in Finland, Germany and Turkey before the WRC excitement arrives in the UK in early October