Evans Wins the WRC Title as Solberg Crashes Two Corners From Glory

Oliver Solberg slid off two corners from the WRC title and Elfyn Evans became world champion. Chris and I talk through that wild finish. Rally Italia Sardegna gave us one of the most dramatic finishes the sport has ever produced. Solberg won the rally by 57.6 seconds and was beating Evans on the final Power Stage when he went off two corners from the end. Evans, a five time runner up, was crowned world champion for the first time. I pushed away from my desk and held my head in my hands, and Chris and I spend this episode working out how it all happened. In this episode: - Whether Evans deserved the title after opening the road for a second year running - Solberg's first full season in a Rally1 car, with 68 stage wins to Evans' 30 - What Sebastien Ogier meant when he called it a lucky win - Saying goodbye to the Rally1 era - Ford's factory return, what it means for M-Sport and the driver market - Tyre exchange zones, Hankook, and whether Super Sunday should stay If this finish had you shouting at the screen too, please leave us a rating and a written review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It really helps other rally fans find the show. And if you know someone who watched Sardinia, send them this episode and tell me what they made of it. Chapters 00:00 Intro and my reaction to the finish 02:12 Why Solberg went off on the sand 02:52 Solberg's first full year in Rally1 04:56 Ogier's "lucky win" comment 05:50 Did Evans deserve the title? 09:19 The road position problem 11:10 How the Evans and Solberg camps reacted 13:37 Solberg's stage win record 15:30 Evans, the humble champion 19:44 Fourmaux and the puncture curse 21:40 Why rally drivers are the best around 23:23 Saying goodbye to Rally1 25:45 Five Toyota teams and Ogier's pace 28:36 The new generation takes over 29:38 Ford is coming back 32:26 M-Sport, the Fiesta plan and the driver market 35:31 2027 transition year and WRC27 power 38:47 Armstrong, the Irish drivers and Martins Sesks 45:37 How the paddock reacted to Evans' win 48:19 Tyre exchange zones and Hankook 50:10 Is Super Sunday worth keeping? 52:18 Winter outlook Full episode guide: www.themotorsportfiles.com Find us on social media: @tmfpod23