Wales Rally: Maiden WRC victory for Elfyn Evans, fifth title for Ogier

The Welshman Elfyn Evans scores his maiden WRC victory today at Wales Rally GB, the penultimate round of the 2017 FIA World Rally Championship. The 28-year-old driver of the D-Mack #3 Ford Fiesta WRC and his navigator Daniel Barritt dominated the event to win with a big advantage over Thierry Neuville/Nicolas Gilsoul in the #5 Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC.

Sebastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia finished third in the #1 Ford Fiesta WRC, taking the World Rally Championship title for the fifth year in a row. Ogier came to Wales with the 38-point advantage over Neuville, saving 32 points for the last round in Australia (November 17-19). As 30 is a maximum amount of points in the event, Ogier will go to Australia as a tourist, with new championship trophy in his hands.

Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport World Rally Team also secured the Manufacturers’ title, ten years after the last championship title for Ford in 2007.

Sebastien Ogier and M-Sport are the world champions for 2017

Other points scorers at Wales Rally GB are Andreas Mikkelsen (Hyundai), Jari-Matti Latvala (Toyota), Ott Tanak (Ford), Kris Meeke (Citroen), Hayden Paddon (Hyundai), Esapekka Lappi (Toyota) and Dani Sordo (Hyundai).

In the Power Stage, Thierry Neuville was the fastest, taking five additional points, ahead of Meeke, Latvala, Ogier and Mikkelsen.

Swedish driver Pontus Tidemand, who already clinched WRC-2 championship title in a Škoda Fabia R5, scored his 8th victory in a category. He was sharing Wales podium with Eric Camilli and Tom Cave, both in a Ford Fiesta R5.

Check the full results of the Wales Rally GB

Photos: M-Sport,