Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin are the 2026 World Driver’s and Co-Driver’s Champions.
After Evans suffered a puncture and was forced to stop 4km into the 23.7km long penultimate stage, dropping out of the Super Sunday points paying positions, the final stage was a winner takes all showdown. Whoever beat the other, Solberg or Evans, would become World Champions.
It was the most dramatic finish in WRC history when Solberg, well up on Evans’ time at the last split, went off the road three corners from the end of the stage!
“It has not sunk in just yet. I was quite sure it was over. I threw everything at it. I feel for Oliver. I have a lot of people to thank,” said Evans.
“I can’t believe it said. It is never over until it over,” said co-driver Scott Martin.
The Welshman started the final stage with just one point in hand over Solberg in the title standings making the Wolf Power Stage, for the first time ever, the championship decider.
Evans set the third fastest time when all was said and done, winning the title by five points.
Solberg won the final round of the season, almost a minute ahead of his Toyota Gazoo Racing teammates Sebastien Ogier and Vincent Landais.
Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen took their ninth podium of the year after ending third, followed by Adrien Fourmaux and Alex Coria in fourth for Hyundai and Evans/Martin in fifth.
Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston took sixth ahead of Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne, who claimed their personal best result at the end of their rookie year.
Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe took the Wolf Power Stage win from Pajari, Evans, Katsuta and Fourmaux.
Super Sunday points went to Pajari from Solberg, followed by Fourmaux, Katsuta and Ogier.
Roope Korhonen took WRC2 honours and eighth overall by 0.7 seconds from the WRC2 champion Robert Virves, with Gus Greensmith rounding out the top ten.
Read Motorsport Monday tomorrow for the full report on a thrilling end to the Rally1 era.
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