Elfyn Evans is ready to accept becoming Wales’ first World Rally Champion if the COVID-19 crisis forced the season to be ended now.

The 31-year-old Dolgellau racer leads the standings by 14 points with, in theory, two rounds left in the disrupted calendar.

But the sport knows that next month’s Ypres Rally Belgium and the season-ending rally in Monza in December – which was only added to the calendar last week – could yet be called-off if the coronavirus situation worsens in Europe.

“The championship has been played to this point and whoever is on top at that time is the champion,” Evans told dirtfish.com.

“It’s not normal circumstances, but everybody’s had the same opportunity.

“I wasn’t surprised or even that disappointed when I heard the news of Monza. I wasn’t surprised because I expected it.

“We knew this was going to be a possibility. We knew the championship and the year was wide open when you are faced with cancellations and additions.

“We knew this when we left México [in March] – the rest of the year was always going to be uncertain.

But Evans is confident the final two rounds – both asphalt rallies – would boost his title hopes after he played road-sweeper on the Sardinia gravel last weekend when he finished fourth.

“We have an opportunity to compete on a more equal footing that benefits us rather than the opposition,” added Evans.

“We always have to be ready to react and we have to do that now and prepare as well as we can for the next two rounds.”