Elfyn Evans is set to return to the FIA World Rally Championship on his home event, Wales Rally GB, after confirming he will miss Rally Turkey next month.
The Welsh driver has been out of action since Rally Estonia back in July following a heavy landing aboard the M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC and to ensure his body is fully recovered, he will sit out the Turkish event.
Speaking about the news, he said: “I’ve been working really closely with the specialists and it’s great to know that I’ll be fit and ready to contest my home event in Wales. There’s something special about competing on home soil, and this is the rally I look forward to every year. It’s where I claimed my first victory, and the support we get there is incredible.”
“It’s important to ensure I’m 100 percent fit before coming back, so I won’t be in Turkey. As frustrating as that is, I trust the experts and know how important it is to make sure the injury is fully healed. When I come back I want to be at full strength and able to pick up where we left off – challenging for the top results over the final part of the season.”
While Team Principal Richard Millener added: “We now know when Elfyn will be able to return to competition, and that’s a big boost for the team heading into the final part of the season. He still has a little way to go with his recovery so we won’t see him in Turkey, but it’s great to know that he’ll be fit for Wales – his home event and the rally he won in 2017.”
“He and Scott had a really strong start to the year and we’re all hoping they can continue that same performance on their return. We’ve not had the best of luck recently, but we’re focused on giving Elfyn and Teemu their best chance of fighting for fourth place in the championship – a battle which currently sees five drivers separated by just 10 points!”
With Evans out, this means the Cumbrian team will have Teemu Suninen and the returning Pontus Tidemand in its pair of WRC cars, with Gus Greensmith returning to the WRC2 PRO class with the Brit making his debut in the new Ford Fiesta Mk8 R5.
Rally Turkey takes place between September 12-15.
