M-Sport Ford's Elfyn Evans will return to competitive World Rally Championship action at next month's Rally GB, meaning he will skip the next WRC round in Turkey.
Evans is still recovering from a back injury he sustained at last month’s Rally Estonia, which has seen him miss both Rally Finland and Germany.
He and co-driver Scott Martin will be back for Evans' home round in Wales, with his recovery ongoing, aided by specialists.
"We now know when Elfyn will be able to return to competition, and that’s a big boost for the team heading into the final part of the season," commented Team Principal, Richard Millener.
"He still has a little way to go with his recovery so we won’t see him in Turkey, but it’s great to know that he’ll be fit for Wales – his home event and the rally he won in 2017.
"He and Scott had a really strong start to the year and we’re all hoping they can continue that same performance on their return. We’ve not had the best of luck recently, but we’re focused on giving Elfyn and Teemu their best chance of fighting for fourth place in the championship – a battle which currently sees five drivers separated by just 10 points!"
Evans added: "I’ve been working really closely with the specialists and it’s great to know that I’ll be fit and ready to contest my home event in Wales. There’s something special about competing on home soil, and this is the rally I look forward to every year. It’s where I claimed my first victory, and the support we get there is incredible.
"It’s important to ensure I’m 100 percent fit before coming back, so I won’t be in Turkey. As frustrating as that is, I trust the experts and know how important it is to make sure the injury is fully healed. When I come back I want to be at full strength and able to pick up where we left off – challenging for the top results over the final part of the season."
Teemu Suninen and Pontus Tidemand will contest Rally Turkey for M-Sport Ford.
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