Toyota brings the Rally1 era to a close with Evans on top of the world and Solberg looking to the future

The final chapter of the Rally1 era could not have been more thrilling. The Rally Italia Sardegna crowned Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin as the 2026 WRC world champions, following an all-Toyota battle that kept the championship in the balance right up to the very last special stage. Evans finally broke the curse of five consecutive second-place finishes, whilst Toyota brought the Rally1 era to a close with yet another manufacturers’ title. But Sardinia has also bid farewell to the World Championship: from next year, the baton will pass to the Rally di Roma Capitale, turning a new page in the history of the WRC.

For Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, the moment of glory has finally arrived. After seven seasons at the very top with the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team and five runners-up finishes in the drivers’ championship over the previous six seasons, the British duo have clinched the world title for the first time. This success was built on consistency – a trait that has characterised Evans’s entire career – but also on two crucial victories in Sweden and Japan.

Evans arrived in Sardinia with a 17-point lead over Sami Pajari and a 21-point lead over Oliver Solberg, but the difficult task of opening the island’s gravel stages immediately complicated his race. By the end of Friday he was sixth, one place ahead of Pajari, whilst Solberg, favoured by his starting position, had finished third before taking the lead in the rally on Saturday. By Sunday, the gap between Evans and Solberg had narrowed to just six points, with everything still to be decided via the Super Sunday and Power Stage bonus points.

Then came the dramatic twist. Evans suffered a puncture on the second Osilo-Tergu stage, losing almost two minutes and dropping out of contention for Sunday’s points. The title would therefore be decided entirely on the final Power Stage. Knowing Evans’ time, Solberg pushed as hard as he could and was leading in the split times, but a few metres from the end of the stage he went off the road. He managed to get back on track and still win the rally, but the 8.9 seconds he lost handed the world title to Evans. This marked the Welsh driver’s first world title, whilst Martin became the first British co-driver to win the championship.

Evans’ title caps off a historic season for Toyota. The Japanese manufacturer had already mathematically secured the manufacturers’ championship in Chile, adding a sixth consecutive title – and the tenth in its history – to its WRC trophy cabinet. This is the seventh time in eight years that a Toyota crew has won the Drivers’ World Championship and the fifth time in the last six years that the team has managed to clinch all three titles.