Dolgellau celebrates Elfyn Evans’s world rally title

Dolgellau has celebrated Elfyn Evans’s first World Rally Championship title with a homecoming for the driver from Dinas Mawddwy. The event took place on Thursday evening, 15 October. Cyngor Gwynedd said Team Elfyn co-ordinated the celebration with the co-operation of Dolgellau Town Council.

A first for Wales

Gwynedd leader Nia Jeffreys said the achievement had brought international attention to the county and gave the community an opportunity to recognise Evans’s success. Council chair Elin Walker Jones welcomed him back and thanked the organisers. The council’s announcement on Friday records the local celebration; the championship itself was decided on 4 October. Evans and co-driver Scott Martin secured their first drivers’ and co-drivers’ world titles at Rally Italia Sardegna. Toyota’s season-end report confirms Evans as the first Welsh driver to win the championship.

The title was decided across the season

Evans finished with 243 championship points, five ahead of Oliver Solberg on 238, with Sami Pajari third on 237. He had previously finished runner-up in five of the preceding six seasons. Winning the world title was separate from winning the final rally. Evans and Martin finished fifth in Sardinia; Solberg and Elliott Edmondson won the event. Toyota records Evans’s two rally victories during the title-winning season as Sweden and Japan. The Dolgellau reception brought that international achievement home, giving Gwynedd a chance to celebrate its first world rally champion with his local community.