Elfyn Evans wins first WRC title after Solberg crashes on final stage

Elfyn Evans won his first World Rally Championship title after Oliver Solberg crashed near the end of the season's final stage in Sardinia on Sunday. BBC Sport Wales reported that the 37-year-old became the first British driver to claim the championship in 25 years, ending a run of five runner-up finishes in the standings.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcoYWbPLz8

The title was still in doubt as Evans and co-driver Scott Martin waited for Solberg to finish. With two turns remaining, Solberg went off the road into the sand, bringing a sudden reversal to a contest that had appeared to be heading his way. Evans had been preparing for another second-place finish before the late incident settled the championship in his favour.

Evans and Martin arrived at Rally Italia Sardegna with a 21-point advantage after winning two of the previous 12 rounds. That cushion proved sufficient, although Evans said the weekend had been difficult and that his road position had left him struggling to respond to Solberg's pace on Friday. Martin said he had maintained that the title would remain undecided until the final stage was complete.

The breakthrough follows championship runner-up finishes for Evans in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Three of those title defeats were decided on the final day, and twice he had led going into the closing event, according to the BBC. His most recent disappointment came against Sebastien Ogier, who beat him to the 2025 crown by four points at the final round.

Evans now joins Colin McRae, the 1995 champion, and Richard Burns, who won in 2001, among Britain's world rally title winners. His own route to the championship included a first WRC stage victory in Germany in 2014 and a maiden podium in Argentina the following year. After dropping to WRC2 in 2016, he returned to win his home rally in Wales in 2017.

Evans acknowledged the unusual circumstances of his title victory and expressed sympathy for Solberg, whose father Petter won the championship in 2003. Drawing on his own near misses, Evans said losing so close to the finish would be difficult for his rival. For Evans and Martin, the final-stage drama instead converted their season-long points advantage into the championship they had been pursuing.