Evans' WRC title hopes in jeopardy after crash in Monza Rally
World Rally Championship leader Elfyn Evans has crashed out on the 11th timed stage of the Monza Rally, putting his hopes of the title in serious jeopardy.
As snow continued to fall on the closed road stages on the final full day of the rally, Evans slid wide near the end of the 11 km Gerosa stage and dropped off the road into the woods.
Toyota teammate and title contender Sebastien Ogier was the next car through, and it was only a warning from his teammate that prevented him from going off at the same point.
“My first reaction was ‘don’t do the same’: it was incredible,” said Ogier at the end of the stage. “The corner he went off, I mean there was nothing you can do, it’s like being on ice. They (Evans and co-driver Scott Martin) slowed me down and I make just the corner. So it’s just like, I’m very sorry for him.”
Ogier now needs to score 15 points more than Evans in order to win his seventh WRC title in eight years. He holds the overall lead by 22.3 seconds from Hyundai’s Dani Sordo with two stages remaining on Saturday and a final three stages within the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza on Sunday morning.
“Honestly with what I have still ahead the championship is not over,” Ogier added. “I have to make it through and it’s a very big challenge, I mean we had a good fight, we had good fun, but now the last moment is not like fighting it’s surviving!”
Read Also:
Related video

Previous article
WRC Rally Monza halted after heavy crashes
Next article
Monza WRC: Ogier closes in on title after Evans crash

About this article
Series | WRC |
Event | Rally Monza |
Drivers | Elfyn Evans |
Teams | Toyota Gazoo Racing |
Author | Nick Garton |
Evans' WRC title hopes in jeopardy after crash in Monza Rally
Trending
Acropolis Rally Greece Teaser
Arctic Rally Finland: Wolf Power Stage highlights
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stage 9
Arctic Rally Finland: Highlights Stages 6-8
Why WRC's hybrid path could leave it at a crossroads
With all three major manufacturers committing to the World Rally Championship’s hybrid era from 2022, the future of the series is assured for now, but it could lead to trickier twists and turns further down the road
How Tanak froze out the competition at the Arctic Rally
Ott Tanak made up for a disastrous Monte Carlo Rally by leading all the way on the snow-kissed stages of the Arctic Rally Finland and in the process hit back at an event Toyota had been expected to dominate…
What to look out for in the 2021 WRC
As the 2021 World Rally Championship prepares to launch amid tight COVID-19 restrictions in Monte Carlo, here are the eight things unrelated to the pandemic that you should keep an eye on this year
Evans on the talking points of WRC 2021
He came close to the title last year, and now Toyota's Elfyn Evans gives his verdict on what to expect from 2021 as the World Rally Championship prepares to reconvene for the Monte Carlo season opener.
Why Britain's continued WRC absence is a wake-up call
With Rally GB dropping off the World Rally Championship calendar for the second year in a row, one of Britain's best-attended sporting events faces an uncertain future. It's an unfortunate situation that points to troubling times ahead
The Top 10 WRC drivers of 2020
A drastically-shortened 2020 season gave the World Rally Championship protagonists precious little stage mileage to strut their stuff, but as ever the cream rose to the top across the seven events. We rank the year's best performers
The twists and turns of a turbulent 2020 WRC season
The 2020 World Rally Championship bestrode all 12 months of the Gregorian calendar, and in terms of the competition it was a cracker. Moreover, it was an inspiration in dark days for the world and our industry.
The early setbacks that shaped the WRC's greatest driver Loeb
A series of close calls in his formative years threatened to leave rallying's top echelon tantalisingly out of reach for the man who would go on to claim nine WRC titles. In an exclusive interview, Sebastien Loeb recalls the key steps on his road to dominance.