Elfyn Evans is set to miss out on Rally Deutschland, the next round of the World Rally Championship as he continues his recovery from the back injury sustained earlier this month.
The Welshman also missed Rally Finland and has been advised not to contest the German event to ensure he makes a complete recovery. It means that Gus Greensmith and Elliott Edmondson will stand in for Evans and co-driver Scott Martin. It will be the young Brits’ third outing with the Fiesta World Rally Car and their first on asphalt.
“Elfyn is frustrated not to be back in Germany – especially at such a critical point in the season,” team boss Richard Milliner said. “We all know what he would have been capable of here, but his health is the most important factor and we need to ensure he is fully recovered and 100 percent fit before getting back behind the wheel. We hope to have him back in time for Turkey.
“Gus made a positive debut on gravel, and we were keen to give him the same opportunity on asphalt. I know that he and Elliott will make the most of the experience. They impressed everyone in Monte Carlo earlier this year, and I think we could see some great progress from them on this surface.”
Greensmith himself said: "I feel really sorry for Elfyn, but it’s important that he makes a full recovery. I’m proud that Malcolm and Rich trust me to fill the seat again – it’s another huge opportunity and I want to say thank you to them and the team.
"Asphalt is my preferred surface, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can do in Germany. It’s an event where I have a lot of experience. I also won my last rally on asphalt and think I’ll be able to get a lot closer to the top guys.
"I’ll share a three-day test with Teemu Suninen next week to get used to the car on asphalt and I plan to make the most of every kilometre, building our speed with every stage."
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