ELFYN Evans and his M-Sport Ford World Rally Team are targeting a return to form on the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship as they take the challenge of Rally Mexico this week.

Taking to the wheel of the EcoBoost-powered Ford Fiesta WRC, Evans and co-driver Daniel Barritt feel that they have a chance of challenging for the podium.

“Rally Mexico is an event that I really enjoy,” said 29 year-old Welsh driver Evans, who is from Dinas Mawddwy.

“It’s such a colourful rally, with a great atmosphere - and we’ve done well there in the past. It’s one of those events where a clever run can deliver good results.

“You need to get the balance between speed and risk just right, and that’s exactly what we’ll be aiming for this week.

“When you think about this event, two things come to mind - the heat and the altitude. We have got to get quickly acclimatised to the environment, in terms of physical fitness as well as driving style.

“The thinner air can see the power reduced by as much as 20 per cent, so you have really got to be tidy and keep the momentum through the corners.

“We’ll have a good road position, but that’s not without its challenges as there’s an added risk of the rocks being pulled onto the racing line. We’ll need to stay focused and hopefully we can deliver a strong result to kick-start our campaign.”

The M-Sport team conducted their pre-event test out in Spain, only for it to be cut short by the wintry weather that had engulfed much of Europe last week.

The ‘Beast from the East’ may have cut the test from five days to three, but Evans said that he still feels well-prepared, thanks to Ford’s technical support.

M-Sport Team Principal, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said: “We were expecting the Championship to be closer than ever this year, and the fact that all four manufacturers are separated by just 11 points is proof of that."If we want to regain our place at the head of the standings, we need to deliver a strong team result in Mexico, and I’m confident that we can launch a return to form this week.

“Our test might have been disrupted by the wintry weather, but we were still able to collect a lot of good data – both from the test and from two days of work at Ford’s Climatic Chamber in Dunton.

“We have three very capable drivers who are all hungry for a good result, and the whole team are determined to see the Fiesta make a return to the podium.”

Evans will be looking for better fortune, having endured a luckless weekend when they finished in 14th position on the second round in Sweden last month.

Picking up a puncture through the early stages, they were forced to clear a line through the snow, and they ultimately missed out on faster conditions behind.

“It was not the easiest of weekends,” admitted Evans. “We were struggling for pace through the early stages, but when the puncture set us back we didn’t have any chance with the road position.

“It was certainly not the weekend we wanted, but we need to put it behind us and we’re looking forward to Mexico.”

Indeed, having twice finished Rally Mexico just shy of the podium, the Wesh rally star could well be challenging for the top-three again this weekend.