Elfyn Evans’ collapse during the final morning loop of Rally Finland catapulted the championship lead from the Welsh driver into Sébastien Ogier’s hands, widening the gap to 22.7 seconds.
Evans, piloting a Toyota GR Yaris, had narrowed Ogier’s 16.3‑second lead to 11.6 seconds before misjudging a tight left turn on stage 14 (SS14 Leustu). The spin sent the car rolling onto its wheels; a sharp ditch on the side spurred a second tumble that buried the car in mud. A crowd, including Evans’ father Gwyndaf, helped tip the battered vehicle clear, but the incident cost the driver 1 m 49.0 s.
After service, Evans described the damage as “less than expected” but stuck to his focus on regaining time rather than the championship title, insisting the team would work on repairs ahead of the afternoon segments.
The roll relegated Evans to fifth overall—two minutes behind the leader—and gave Ogier a 22.7‑second cushion over Toyota’s Sami Pajari. Oliver Solberg, who had been running third after a strong morning, now sat one minute and one‑half behind the front.
While Evans encountered trouble, Martins Sesks of M‑Sport also spun his Ford Puma into trees on stage 14, ending his rally after service. The incident lifted Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux into fourth, while the Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta recovered from earlier rain‑induced setbacks to finish in sixth.
With the morning loops sorted, Ogier remains in the spotlight as the afternoon stages promise new challenges for the World Rally Championship’s leaders.
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