Consistency is what’s key to clinching the World Rally Championship title and after so many near-misses, Elfyn Evans is displaying all the right traits to finally achieve his dream.
The Toyota driver has been knocking on the door of becoming Britain’s first world champion since Richard Burns in 2001 for several years and each season that knock becomes louder.
Last year, for example, the Welshman came the closest he’s ever been having missed out by a mere four points to arguably rallying’s greatest of all time Sebastien Ogier; it was the fifth time in six years that Evans has finished runner-up in the standings.
So, alongside his 12 rally victories after triumphing in some of the toughest events such as Finland, Sweden and Kenya, he can be rightly considered as one of the best drivers yet to win the title.
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In a way, fans have become almost desensitised to Evans being the WRC’s metronome that constantly delivers at the highest level without major errors. It is perhaps only when one analyses his current form against the past that the true extent of his performances come to light.
Considering how easy it is to make a costly mistake in the WRC, which visits the toughest terrain in global motorsport and the most extreme conditions, the numbers are simply staggering.
Evans currently leads the WRC 2026 standings by 13 points after two rounds – but he’s had big leads before and not got the job done
Photo by: Toyota Racing
Evans is currently on a streak of finishing inside the top six in 19 consecutive rallies, a run that stretches back to Chile in 2024 and the last time he made a costly error was the preceding event in Greece, having rolled in stage 11. During this streak, he has finished on the podium 13 times and completed the entire 2025 season without making a serious mistake, while enduring the disadvantage of having to open the roads for large parts of that campaign.
Granted, there have been several drivers that have constructed longer points scoring streaks in the WRC, with nine-time world champion Sebastien Loeb heading that statistic after an astonishing unbroken run of 28 point-scoring events from Poland 2009 to Australia 2011.
It is, however, pertinent to note that following the introduction of the Power Stage and its bonus points in 2011, and Super Rally rules, it is possible to rejoin a rally and score points after crashing out.
“It is amazing that performance and the level he is driving without mistakes, and that is why he has been runner-up in the World Rally Championships so many times, and when the time is right he will become world champion” Jari-Matti Latvala
When crunching the numbers, only two drivers can better Evans’ current run of consecutive top six finishes, these both being legends of the WRC in Loeb and two-time world champion Marcus Gronholm.
Longest streak of consecutive top six finishes
After winning Rally Sweden last weekend, Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala highlighted Evans’ current form as “incredible” and is convinced his driver will eventually become a world champion.
“It is incredible and when you think when was the last time he made a mistake, you have to go back to 2024,” he said. “It is amazing that performance and the level he is driving without mistakes, and that is why he has been runner-up in the World Rally Championships so many times, and when the time is right he will become world champion.
Latvala is convinced that his driver will become champion
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“It wasn’t last year but this year he has a chance again, but of course there is the young challenger in Oliver Solberg. All the experience Elfyn has, he is putting that on the table.”
Indeed, Evans’ consistency has continued into 2026, mirroring his start to the 2025 campaign by finishing second in Monte Carlo followed by victory in Sweden. In fact, the 37-year-old has scored just one point less (60) compared to this stage last year.
But there is a difference already that could prove critical when it comes to the title race. After losing out to Ogier in the 2025 championship showdown, Evans admitted that there were times where he could have squeezed more points had he known Ogier would extend his part-time season and fight for the title.
Throughout 2025, when it came to head-to-head fights with Ogier, the Frenchman came out on top in 10 of the 11 events the pair both contested. In Monte Carlo this year, Evans managed to beat Ogier – the Monte Master- in a straight fight, finishing second, with Ogier third as the pair trailed the stunning Solberg. In doing so, Evans outscored Ogier by eight points, double the deficit of the title loss last year, with perhaps the most telling factor being a 9-3 win on the Super Sunday points.
Of course, it is very early days in the title race and there is plenty to play out this year, but it is a sign that Evans is meeting the objective of trying to maximise his points haul. While Ogier has stated that he plans to contest 10 events this season, one less than last year, the Frenchman will always pose as a title threat. He’s proved it is possible to triumph in a partial season and now there is the prospect of a 10th title that will make him the undisputed greatest of all time.
But it is unlikely that Ogier will be the only rival to Evans.
It appears Solberg will be a factor in his first full season as a factory WRC Rally1 driver at Toyota. The Swede has already won a WRC2 title and has a phenomenal strike rate of two wins from three starts in a GR Yaris Rally1. Sitting 13 points behind Evans after two events, the rally world expects Solberg will be a title contender this year – game on!
Is youngster Oliver Solberg the main title rival for Evans this year?
Photo by: McKlein Photography / LAT Images via Getty Images
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