ELFYN Evans says that he is eager to shine again when M-Sport Ford World Rally Team’s EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRCs tackle the gravel stages of Rally Italia Sardegna, the seventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

With five days of testing on location, the team is prepared, and Evans and co-driver Daniel Barritt are keen to showcase the power and performance of the top-specification Fiesta.

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, has stood on the podium since sensationally winning last October’s Dayinsure Wales Rally GB, to become the first Welsh driver ever to win a World Championship stage outright.

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, and his 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.

Evans said he hopes that his latest performance was a sign of more positive things to come, and he is relishing his return to Sadinia’s sun-kissed stages, without underestimating their challenges.

“Sardinia will always be a special place for me. It’s where I first got behind the wheel of a world rally car and I’ve come to really enjoy the challenging nature of the stages,” said the Gwynedd rally ace.

“It’s not an easy rally by all means, but I think that’s one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much. It’s such a demanding event and you really need to keep that in mind.

“The stages themselves are very rough and abrasive. You need to keep a margin within your driving otherwise your rally can be over before it’s even begun.

“Then there’s the heat. At this time of year we can be looking at temperatures as high as 30C. That takes its toll on the cars, and the 50C plus temperatures inside the cockpit take their toll on the crew too!

“After our good result in Portugal we’re keen to keep that momentum going in Sardinia. We’ve completed two days of testing and we’ll have a fairly good road position on Friday that we’ll need to make the most of."If everything goes our way, I can see no reason why we can’t be challenging for another strong result.”

Having won the event last year – and coming off the back of a double podium in Portugal – M-Sports expectations are high and the team is again hopeful of challenging for another strong result.

With the season break just around the corner, Team Principal Malcolm Wilson is keen to see his team realise their potential.

“It is an event that our team always looks forward to,” said Wilson. “It’s a beautiful island that is picture-perfect for rallying, and its rural terrain offers some of the most challenging and demanding stages on the calendar."Having won this event last year, the Fiesta is a proven contender and we’ll be aiming to challenge for the top results once again next week.

“The competition will be extremely strong, but I think we have the potential to deliver a good team result all round.”