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Ellyn Evans secured his first career World Rally Championship title in dramatic fashion on Sunday in Sardinia, edging out his rivals at the end of the 2026 WRC season. The championship battle came down to the final meters of the final stage, where Evans capitalized on a late crash by title contender Oliver Solberg to claim the crown with 243 points, five points clear of Solberg at the finish.
How Elfin Evans Claimed the 2026 World Rally Championship Title in Sardinia
The championship fight entered Sunday with Evans and Solberg separated by just a single point in the standings. Evans faced early adversity on Sunday morning after being forced to change a punctured tire during the penultimate stage. Solberg held the overall rally lead heading into the closing Power Stage, meaning the title hinged entirely on their relative pace over the final kilometers.
Solberg pushed hard on his final run, recording rapid splits before crashing into the sand dunes just two corners from the finish line. Although the Swedish driver managed to recover his car and salvage first place in the overall rally classification, his Power Stage time lagged nine seconds behind Evans. That crucial time difference delivered the championship to Evans, who broke a career history of championship runner-up finishes by sealing the 2026 season title with 243 points.
Martins Sesks and Rally1 Era Conclude with Sardinia Finale
Latvian rally driver Mārtiņš Sesks, alongside co-driver Renārs Francis, returned to competition on Sunday morning following steering system failures and a retirement on Saturday. Piloting their Ford entry through the final stages of the season, the crew recorded the eleventh-fastest time in Sunday’s opening test. They subsequently notched the ninth-fastest time among Rally1 crews before claiming seventh place in the season-ending Power Stage.
In the final Rally1 classification standings for the event, Sesks and Francis finished ninth overall. They placed ahead of teammate Josh McErlean, who encountered severe technical troubles and heavy time penalties during the rally. Sunday’s running also marked the final competitive appearance for the current generation of Rally1 machinery in the championship.
Final Standings and Championship Points
Evans closed out his championship-winning campaign with 243 total points after 2026’s demanding calendar. Solberg finished second in the final standings, just five points adrift at 238 points, following the dramatic late-stage incident in Sardinia that shifted the championship outcome on the final day of competition.
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