Page 12 - Motorsport News (January 2020)

12 JANUARY 29 2020 motorsport-news.co.uk
RALLY NEWS
Neuville is wary ofYaris’s speed
NEUVILLE TIPS EVANS TO
CHASE 2020 WORLD TITLE
Hyundai’s Monte Carlo event winner is highly impressed with new Toyota recruit’s pace
ByDavidEvans
MonteCarloRallywinner
ThierryNeuvillesaysElfynEvans’s
performanceontheseason-opener
hasdemonstratedhewillbein
thefightforthisyear’sWorld
RallyChampionshiptitle.
Evans,whoswitchedfromM-Sportto
Toyotaoverthewinter,postedfourfastest
times,ledtheGap-basedeventforeight
of 16stagesandraninthetopthreefor
theduration.TheWelshmanheld
HyundaimanNeuvilleandhisown
Toyotateam-mateandseven-time
MontewinnerSebastienOgieratbay
toleadtheeventintothefinalday.
UnfortunatelyforUKrallyfans,
therewasn’ttobeafirstBritishwinner
sinceVicElford’s1968victoryina
Porsche.Neuvilleis,however,sure
of Evans’spotentialwiththeYarisWRC.
Thechampionshipleadertold
MotorsportNews:“Theproof isthere.
Wehavealreadybeeninthissituation
inCorsicalastyearwhenhecameclose
towinning.Hehasagreattalentanda
greatspeedandhefeelsverycomfortable
CONFUSED ABOUT WRC SUPPORT CLASSES? YOU WILL BE....WRC 2 AND WRC 3 REPORT
Martin (left) andEvans began2020 withWelshman’sfirstMonte podium
straight away with this new car – that’s
promising for him and for everybody
else in the coming events.
“Like I said, we have seen his speed
on Tarmac, so this performance wasn’t
a surprise, but I think he’s going to be
on the pace on a lot of rallies. Now with
the road position, Elfyn will have some
of the victories this season. And, in
general, the Toyota is strong, but also
on the sections like today [Sunday],
I think we had the hand on top of them.
We were able to continually set fastest
times and control the race.”
Evans, who broke his WRC duck with
a home win at Wales Rally GB in 2017,
himself was not sure about being tipped
as a title contender. He said he would
Advertising enquiries: 0203 405 8110
Photos: mcklein-imagedatabase.com
Evans finished third on
Monte Carlo opener
rather take a rally-by-rally approach that this weekend. We thought we could
and see how the season unfolds. be really fast and we were planning some
“There’s no point in pre-planning, is fastest times, but to be in the top three
there?” he said. “It’s better to just keep on almost every stage is something really
your head down, go to every rally and nice. We deserve to be there and we can
do your best – it’s that simple. There’s do it. He’s got the team behind him and
no point trying to come up with some his confidence is really good now. We’ll
masterplan, just go to the stages and keep pushing.”
let the rest take care of itself. Toyota team principal Tommi
“I think we already showed we have Makinen refused to be too downhearted
pace on all surfaces, now the car feels about a 1-2 going into Sunday becoming
very good. OK we’ve done very little on a 2-3 coming out.
gravel and that’s now the critical part “It has been an excellent weekend
of the calendar – we have to wait to find for us,” he said. “Of course, there is a
out if we have the same confidence, small disappointment about today and
but based on previous results then it missing out on the victory. We are always
doesn’t look so bad.” learning, and the drivers didn’t have the
Evans’s co-driver Scott Martin was perfect feeling with the car this morning.
disappointed to miss out on what would “We made some changes to the set-up
have been his maiden WRC win, but the later on and they found good speed
Englishman is confident in the ability again at the end. We are competing at
aboard the #33 Yaris WRC this season. the highest level and it is so, so tight. The
“I think we can be in the fight on overall result is still incredible for our
every rally and every surface,” he said. first rally with our new drivers: not just
“On gravel, on snow and on Tarmac, to have Sebastien and Elfyn both on the
he has the speed. To do it on every rally podium, but also for Kalle [Rovanpera]
is something different, you need to to finish fifth in his first rally at the top
show consistency, but I think we did level. It is very promising for the future.”
PAGE 22