Evans WRC title bid going down to wire in Sardinia

Elfyn Evans' hopes of claiming a first World Rally Championship (WRC) crown are hanging by a thread after rival Oliver Solberg took the lead in the title-deciding Rally Italia Sardegna.

Solberg was again the fastest driver across Saturday morning's three stages, leapfrogging the overnight top two, Hyundai pair Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux.

The 25-year-old Swede leads Neuville by 2.7 seconds, while Evans lies in sixth place, one minute 57.7 seconds behind the new rally leader.

The Welshman had taken a 17-point lead into the final round of the season, but on current positions that gap would be reduced to four.

With up to 10 points available as Sunday bonuses, and given Solberg's flying form in Sardinia, that puts him as the favourite to claim a maiden world title rather than his Toyota team-mate.

"A bit out of my control, I feel, with the road cleaning so much," said Welshman Evans when asked about the title race after stage 10.

"[We're] not realistically going to catch anybody in front, got to stay clean for now."

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier lies third, Fourmaux fourth and Sami Pajari, who could also still win the WRC title, in fifth position.

The Finn is 42.2 seconds ahead of Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, who were again unable to match the fastest times on Saturday despite no longer facing the challenge of being the first car out on loose gravel surfaces.

Trailing 51.7 seconds behind Evans in seventh place is Josh McErlean, who lost time on stage 10 with a half-spin to avoid a tree.

McErlean's M-Sport Ford team-mate and fellow Irishman Jon Armstrong is ninth.

How Evans can clinch the title

Evans will guarantee himself a first WRC title if he collects 19 points from the maximum 35 available to any one driver over a rally weekend.

He has averaged 19.2 points per event this season.

The winner of the rally will collect 25 points, with 17 for second, 15 for third and so on down to one for 10th place.

A further five, four, three, two and one points are available for the five quickest drivers over Sunday's four stages, with the same bonuses awarded for the fastest times on the final Power Stage.

That means any of these five scenarios would guarantee Evans his first world title.

• First place

• Second overall plus at least two Sunday bonus points

• Third overall plus at least four bonus points

• Fourth overall plus at least seven bonus points

• Fifth overall plus at least nine bonus points

If, on the other hand, Evans fails to collect 19 points this weekend, that does not mean his dream is over, but it does open the door for his rivals.

Pajari's hopes

Pajari must outscore championship leader Evans by at least 18 points - in addition to gaining four more than Solberg - to take the title.

If the Finnish driver - who has won three of the past four rallies - were to take the maximum 35 points, that would mean Evans could score no more than 18.

Those returns would see the Toyota pair tied on 248 points and make Pajari champion by virtue of four rally victories this season compared to the Welshman's two.

Solberg's chance

Solberg, winner of the previous rally in Chile, needs to score at least 22 points more than Evans and five more than Pajari to take the title.

If he were to enjoy a maximum 35-point weekend and Evans picked up 15, the pair would be level on 244 points, making the Swede world champion on countback with three rally victories.

Still to come

The rally continues with a further 13 stages before the winner - and the 2026 World Rally champion - is crowned on Sunday.

Saturday's remaining stages

SS11: Lerno - Sa Conhedda - Monti de Ala 2, 24.14km (13:31 BST)

SS12: Coiluna - Loelle 2, 24.83km (14:41 BST)

SS13: Solorche 2, 12.86km (15:37 BST)

Sunday's stages

SS14: Osilo - Tergu 1, 23.71km (07:31 BST)

SS15: Sassari - Argentiera 1, 7.10km (09:05 BST)

SS16: Osilo - Tergu 2, 23.71km (10:38 BST)

SS17: Wolf Power Stage, Sassari - Argentiera 1, 7.10km (13:15 BST)