ELFYN Evans is aiming to continue his impressive start to the 2020 FIA World Rally Championship when he competes on the first true gravel event of the season at this week’s Rally Mexico.

Evans, from Dinas Mawddwy, currently leads the drivers’ championship for the first time after his historic win on Rally Sweden, with Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team-mate Sébastien Ogier, a five-time winner on Rally Mexico, just five points behind in the standings.

After the winter conditions of Rallye Monte-Carlo and Rally Sweden, Rally Mexico provides a considerable contrast for the 31 year-old Welshman.

“It’s obviously been a great start to the year with the team, and I’m looking forward now to the first gravel event of the season,” he said.

“In a way, Mexico is quite like the first two rallies of the year, in that it has its own specific challenges that we have to try and adapt to.

“This year, it’s another new surface for us to get used to with a new car. But we found a good feeling in the first two rounds, and we are hoping to do the same in Mexico.

“Leading the championship does mean we will be opening on the road on Friday, which will not make it easy, but we almost have to forget about that and just focus on the job in hand.”

Evans led from start to finish to secure a dominant Rally Sweden victory last month, and leads the FIA World Rally Championship for the first time in his impressive rallying career.

He became the first British driver to win the WRC’s only winter round after easing his Toyota Yaris through the closing Wolf Power Stage to finish 12.7sec clear of 2019 World champion Ott Tänak.

Evans had marked his Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team debut with an impressive podium finish on Monte Carlo Rally in the thrilling WRC curtain-raiser.

“It felt really good to have my first win with Toyota Gazoo Racing in our second event together,” said Evans.

“I have to give a lot of credit to the team for not only giving me a great car, but also giving me the support and help in testing for me to get the car to where I wanted it. The car gave me great confidence, and in changeable conditions like we’ve had here, that’s really worth a lot.

“It has been very enjoyable to drive so far, hopefully we can carry this onto gravel.”

Mexico is usually one of the warmest events of the season, with temperatures that can reach 30°C, and is also the highest round on the calendar, with the route climbing to 2,737m above sea level. At such altitude, thinner air reduces engine power by as much as 20 per cent.

Team Princial Tommi Mäkinen said: “It has been a brilliant start to the season for the whole team and, of course, we hope to keep it going in Mexico this week.

“It is a rally where we know that the altitude and the high temperatures can make it tough for the cars.

“We have worked hard and improved a lot in this area since we started. We already saw last year that we had no issues with the cooling, and the speed was very good too.

“So I am feeling confident that we can go there and have another strong rally with our three crews, who have all settled in to the team incredibly well so far.”