How will Toyota help Evans in the title fight?

Welshman Elfyn Evans is one rally away from the WRC world title, with the challenging gravel event in Sardinia looming.

His rivals, Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg, are also his Toyota teammates. The team has already stated there will be no team orders, allowing all drivers to freely compete for the world title.

However, ahead of Rally Sardinia, Toyota made a decision to assist Evans, which might seem unusual at first glance.

Evans will not be nominated to score manufacturer points for next weekend's rally. This is largely a formality, as Toyota has already secured its sixth consecutive manufacturers' world title, and tenth overall.

This decision by Toyota means Evans is permitted to use more new components on his car without incurring penalties, precisely because he isn't nominated for manufacturer points. The core reason behind this is the condition of Evans' engine.

Pajari and Solberg have newer engines; Oliver received a new engine after his crash in Greece. Evans, however, hasn't retired from a race and consequently hasn't had an engine change since Croatia, meaning his engine has accumulated significantly more competitive mileage.

Regulations allow for an engine change after a crash, and Ogier received a new engine following his incident in Finland.

Pajari's situation is different, as he is officially entered for the season with Toyota's second team, so an engine change for him does not result in penalties.

According to a Toyota source, Evans' car has received "normal servicing and repairs" between races, but not a new engine. Therefore, this decision actually levels the playing field for Evans with Solberg and Pajari, rather than giving him a significant advantage.