Welsh star begins the hybrid era at legendary event.
Welsh star Elfyn Evans begins his bid to become World Rally Champion at the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo this weekend, in an event which heralds a new era for the sport.
Toyota Gazoo Racing driver Elfyn is aiming for his first world crown in an all-new hybrid GR Yaris Rally1 car as the World Rally Championship embraces sustainability.
Elfyn and co-driver Scott Martin finished runners-up in the title race last season and are determined to go one better in 2022.
Elfyn said: “This is an exciting time in our sport and I’m looking forward to the challenge of these new cars. Since I first tested the GR YARIS Rally1 we’ve made some good progress, but it’s impossible to know where we stand relative to the competition until we get to Monte-Carlo. So much has changed and it’s a clean sheet of paper.
“The additional power from the hybrid system makes a huge difference and how you manage it could be worth quite a lot in certain cases.
“We’ve already learned a lot in testing and I’m sure we’re going to continue learning a lot during the year, starting in Monte-Carlo. It’s a rally that’s always a bit of a lottery with the weather anyway, and now the base has moved south there’s a lot of new stages and different terrain to get to grips with.”
Elfyn finished third in the shakedown on Thursday morning, with the event starting in earnest in the iconic Casino Square on Thursday evening with what are certain to be a stunning pair of night stages. With 85 per cent of the stages having changed since last year’s event and new cars to get to grips with, the event will be an exceptional challenge for all of the drivers.
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