Elfyn Evans’ slim hopes of winning the World Rally Championship were crushed on the final day of Italy’s Rally Monza

The championship leader had slid off the road in treacherous conditions on a snow-covered SS11 on Saturday.

That left the Welshman needing to win the five points on offer in Sunday’s live TV Wolf Power Stage and Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate and main rival for the title Sébastien Ogier to have an off day, to have any chance of becoming the first Welshman to lift the world title.

As it happened Evans finished third in the power stage, stalling his Toyota Yaris on a couple of occasions but can count himself unlucky to have spun off the road in stage 11.

Third-placed Evans was fastest at the mid-stage split in Saturday afternoon’s Gerosa test in the Italian Alps when he was caught out by the conditions. His Yaris slid down a bank into a tree.

Sportingly, Evans ran back down the road to warn Ogier of the impending hazard and prevent his colleague and the following drivers from joining him in the undergrowth.

Speaking on Saturday night Evans said: ““It was a tricky day but I think that was the case for everybody.

“We had a lot of snow and slush and there were a few places that were the trickiest I’ve ever been in with a rally car.

“In the first stage this morning when we reached the slush section I made a mistake in one corner and we hit the bank.

“There was no big damage to the car, but enough for it to be a bit more tricky to drive.

“The afternoon was really difficult I would say. When the snowfall came the road conditions changed totally.

“We were a bit unlucky that the first stage of the loop was cancelled as we were setting a good time there.

“But it was just good that we got through it and we are here tonight.

“We are too far away to catch anyone in front tomorrow without something happening, but I will just try to bring home as many points as we can for the team.”

Evans, who won Rally Sweden and Rally Turkey in this Covid-restricted championship added: “Of course it was a case of what could have been, but that’s the game.

“You can always say you want it so much, but when you go off the road you go off the road and that’s it.

“It wasn’t a great power stage to be honest, I stalled the car twice in the gravel. The conditions were so extreme.”