Elfyn finishes season runner up after drivers struggle in the sand in Saudi Arabia

Title fight goes down to season's last stage, but Welsh star just misses out on glory.

Elfyn Evans finished runner up in the WRC Drivers’ Championship after a dramatic title fight went to the very last stage of the season at Rally Saudi Arabia. 

After going into the season’s final test three points ahead of main rival Sebastien Ogier, the title was still in doubt coming to the final power stage in Saudi Arabia. But, although Elfyn won the stage with his best drive of a difficult weekend. Ogier finished second, securing him his ninth world crown. 

Elfyn’s championship bid was hampered from the off having to run first on the opening days, and suffering some of the most extreme road cleaning of the season. 

He finished the day in ninth and suffered a puncture on the first stage of day two, losing 1m 40s.

All the drivers were batting the conditions and most also had punctures, including Ogier, but he was able to nurse his Toyota to the end of the stage without losing too much time.

The stages were proving to be a test for all of the drivers, with areas of soft sand that rutted badly alongside rocky tracks through the desert which held the potential for punctures around every corner. 

Elfyn ended day two in eighth but, crucially, just two places behind Ogier. With final day’s points and the power stage still to come, Elfyn’s title hopes were still alive. 

Ogier, though, began to move up the rankings as other drivers hit major problems, and picked up vital extra points. Ultimately, despite Elfyn producing a masterly drive in the final stage it wasn’t enough to hang on to his championship lead, finishing the season runner up for the fifth time.