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As the World Rally Championship leader, Toyota's Welsh driver Elfyn Evans will be tasked with sweeping the road during Friday's special stages at Rally Estonia. Although the effect of 'road cleaning' is not expected to be as severe on this weekend's ultra-fast gravel roads as it was on the rough and rutted stages of the Acropolis Rally, Evans still faces a tough challenge if he hopes to fight for a podium finish.
On the other hand, Kalle Rovanperä proved during his championship-winning seasons that victory in Estonia is possible even when starting first on the road.
Evans arrives in Estonia with an 11-point lead over his Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta in the standings, while Sébastien Ogier is third, 37 points behind. The Welshman has enjoyed ideal preparation for Rally Estonia, not only completing tests but also competing from first on the road at last week's Lõuna-Eesti Rally.
"Greece was a challenging event for us, but we can expect something completely different on the much faster roads in Estonia and Finland," stated Evans.
Naturally, Evans would welcome rain on Friday, as damp conditions would mitigate the disadvantages of starting first. Unfortunately for the Welshman, the forecast from earlier in the week predicts dry weather for Friday, with rain more likely on the final day of the rally on Sunday.
Rally Estonia will follow a compact format, with the shakedown taking place on Friday morning before the competition begins later that afternoon.
The event concludes on Sunday after 18 special stages, covering just over 300 competitive kilometres.
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