By Andrew Clarke
Date posted: 5 October 2026
Elfyn Evans secured his first FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title in Sardinia on 4 October after a final-stage showdown with Oliver Solberg.
The Welshman and co-driver Scott Martin secured the 2026 title by five points after Solberg’s championship challenge unravelled only a handful of corners from the finish of the final Power Stage.
It ended years of frustration for Evans, who had finished runner-up in the championship five times before finally reaching the top.
Title goes to the final stage
The Toyota driver entered the final day with the title still in his hands, but the championship equation changed dramatically when he suffered a front-right puncture on the Osilo–Tergu stage and was forced to stop and change the wheel.
That wiped out his chance of scoring Super Sunday points and left the title effectively resting on the final 7.10km Sassari–Argentiera Power Stage.
Evans completed the stage first but was unhappy with his run.
Solberg then launched his attack and was 1.9s quicker than Evans with little more than one kilometre remaining, putting the championship within reach.
Solberg then slid wide and into the sand only a handful of corners from the finish. He recovered and completed the stage, but the time lost was enough to hand Evans and Martin the world championship.
“I don’t think it’s quite sunk in yet,” Evans said.
“I was quite sure that it was over. I didn’t drive the best stage. I threw everything at it, but it wasn’t clean.
“I feel sorry for Oliver as well. He did an incredible weekend, and I’m sorry for him to lose it so close to the finish there.
“Obviously, I have a lot of people to thank for backing me for all the years, and to Scotty, obviously, for an incredible job.”
The result completed a long road to the championship for Evans, who twice previously arrived at the final round of a WRC season leading the standings without being able to convert that advantage into the title.
His 2026 campaign had again looked capable of following the same script.
Evans led the championship for much of the season before seeing his advantage steadily reduced in the second half of the year, while running first on the road also hurt him through parts of the Sardinian finale.
This time, however, Evans stayed in the fight long enough for the championship to fall his way.
He became the first British driver to win the WRC drivers’ title since Richard Burns in 2001.
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin charge through Rally Italia Sardegna in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 on the way to securing the 2026 World Rally Championship. Image: Red Bull Content Pool
Solberg takes rally win
Solberg at least left Sardinia with the rally victory after an outstanding weekend alongside co-driver Elliott Edmondson.
The pair won by 57.8s from Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais, with Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen third to complete an all-Toyota podium.
Adrien Fourmaux was fourth for Hyundai, while Evans finished fifth ahead of Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta.
The result capped another dominant season for Toyota Gazoo Racing, which finished the championship with 662 manufacturers’ points compared with Hyundai’s 440.
Evans ended the year on 243 points, five clear of Solberg, with Pajari another point behind on 237.
After years of near misses, Evans finally had enough.
After a title fight that went to the final kilometres of the season, he was a world champion.
Rally Italia Sardegna, top six
Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, 3h 19m 48.3s
Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, +57.8s
Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, +1m 48.6s
Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria, Hyundai i20 N Rally1, +2m 45.4s
Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, +4m 57.0s
Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston, Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, +6m 09.4s
2026 WRC drivers’ championship
Elfyn Evans, 243 points
Oliver Solberg, 238
Sami Pajari, 237
Results remain subject to FIA confirmation.
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