Elfyn Evans is planning on becoming Wales’ first World Rally Champion in style in Italy next month.
The Dolgellau-born racer will head into the final round in Monza leading the standings by 14 points after this month’s penultimate round in Belgium was cancelled.
Evans knows that with 30 points still to play for, the title is still up for grabs but is looking to answer any doubts by winning in Italy (4-6 December).
“I will need to be at my best,” said the 31-year-old. “From my side, with the points situation as it is, the championship is still very much an open game.
“We will go to Monza trying to win the rally – that’s ultimately where I’m at.
“It’s such a shame as I know the Belgian organisers had put in a massive effort to get their event onto the WRC calendar and we were really looking forward to the special challenges of rallying on the rural roads around Ypres.
“We will now keep working as much as possible in readiness for Monza.”
Evans’ closest rival is Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Sebastien Ogier, the six-time world champ.
Hyundai pair Thierry Neuville and defending champion Ott Tänak are also still mathematically in the title race, but with just one round remaining, their respective chances are far more remote.
But while knowing the cancellation of the Belgian round could work in his favour Evans admits it could go against him and co-driver Scott Martin.
“You can look at it both ways,” added Evans. “If I had an issue with two rounds left, there would still have been one remaining rally to make up any lost ground.
“Now, should anything go wrong in Italy, the job is probably finished – there will be no opportunity to claw back points.
“In one way, of course, the title is closer but in reality things are still open and anything can still happen in the one remaining round… and that assumes that Monza will run to a full itinerary and full points will be awarded, as we currently expect.”
Evans is the only driver to have won multiple rounds in this truncated season following his victories in Sweden and Turkey where he seized the lead in the standings.
And he has yet to finish outside the top four as he looks to join Colin McRae (1995) and Richard Burns (2001) as a British World Rally Champ.
It is just a shame that he could not power his Yaris WRC car through his native Welsh forests looking to repeat his Wales rally GB victory in 2017.
“I was really looking forward to Rally GB, especially as the Yaris is very strong in those conditions,” said Evans of his home event which had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.
“What’s more, as championship leaders, we would have started with a very helpful road position, giving us a real shot of challenging for victory again.”