The focus for Evans as pressure builds in WRC title fight

Elfyn Evans says his full focus is on securing the best result possible rather than just bettering World Rally Championship rival Sebastien Ogier at this weekend’s Central European Rally.

Evans heads into the WRC’s return asphalt trialing Toyota team-mate Ogier by two points in the championship standings, having led the series for the majority of the season. With three rounds of the season remaining, the pressure is beginning to mount in the title hunt.

Ogier and Evans are the favourites but Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanpera (-21 points) and Hyundai duo Ott Tanak (-43 points) and Thierry Neuville (-58 points) are still mathematically in the fight for the championship.

When asked if he was feeling the pressure, Evans said: “No pressure really. It is a bit of a culture shock to arrive on tarmac again. We did a test day obviously but now to come and drive on asphalt again it feels really strange. The feeling is ok.

“I think it is quite important to win actually and that is no different to any other rally. Of course, we are here to do the best job we can.

"No [the focus is not on just beating Seb) we have to focus on doing the best we can whoever that is against. I think it is important.”

This weekend’s rally is only the third asphalt outing of the season although the stages held in the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany differ vastly from the smooth tarmac in the Canary Islands in April, where Toyota dominated.

The Welshman is expecting a challenge when it comes to selecting the correct compound of Hankook tyre as experience on these tyres on asphalt still limited across the field.

“It is obviously very mixed. The Czech stages, one of them on Friday is a lot more dirty and there will be a lot more cutting, but some of the German stages have almost no cutting as there are anti cuts on every corner,” Evans added.

“It will be interesting to see how the weekend unfolds but it is going to be quite mixed, but difficult in some moments I would say.

“The tyres are ok but we are still learning which is the best compound it seems and I still have some doubts on that side actually, but let’s wait and see.”

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