By Paul Evans
Having skipped three rounds of this year’s FIA World Rally Championship through injury, and narrowly missed out a couple of victories thanks to a puncture in Corsica and Wales Rally GB, Elfyn Evans goes into this weekend’s Rally Spain with some unfinished business to attend to – and as he’s ultra quick on both gravel and Tarmac, the only mixed-surface round of the series should suit him well.
Evans’ M-Sport team has prepared hard for this event, completing a comprehensive three-day test on roads around Tarragona. With just Rally Spain and Rally Australia remaining, it does not want to end the year as the only manufacturer not to have won a round of the 2019 series, as it looks to its number one driver to fulfil the Ford Fiesta WRC’s event winning potential.
And Evans certainly has a strong chance of doing just that this weekend, as this will be his seventh attempt at Rally Spain – with a career-best third place finish coming last year.
But after a violent storm on Tuesday night, which saw many parts of the region flooded, the condition of the gravel and Tarmac roads is uncertain. That said, Evans and co-driver Scott Martin have started well, setting a comfortable tenth fastest time on today’s Shakedown Stage – which had itself been underwater 24 hours earlier.
“It was great to be back in Wales, and to see that our pace was strong enough to challenge for the top results,” said Evans. “We want to see that pace continue in Spain and I see no reason why we can’t do that. I feel as though we have some unfinished business this year, and I’m keen to deliver some strong results over these final events.
“As the only mixed-surface event on the calendar there’s nothing else quite like this rally. The gravel stages can be quite technical in places, and the asphalt roads are as close as we get to rallying on a race track in full Tarmac trim.
“We completed an asphalt test last week and the feeling is good, so I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and seeing what we can do.”
Rally Spain (or RallyRACC Catalunya – Rally de España, to give it its full title) is based in Salou on the Costa Daurada to the south of Barcelona and consists of one day of medium-speed gravel stages followed by two days on smooth and fast asphalt roads that are often likened to racing circuits. Uniquely, teams convert their cars from gravel to asphalt specification in an extended evening service after Friday’s opening leg, and drivers have to quickly adjust to the change of surface the following morning.
A ceremonial start takes place later today in Salou, while the rally begins in earnest tomorrow (Friday), with two loops of three stages held mostly on gravel, although there are some sections on asphalt in the La Fatarella – Vilalba stage, the longest of the weekend at 38.85kms. Saturday has two loops of three asphalt stages, followed by a short stage in Salou itself. Sunday consists of two runs over the Riudecanyes and La Mussara stages, separated by service in Salou, with the second pass of the latter test as the rally-ending Power Stage.