More heartbreak for Evans in rally title decider
He had been leading the driver's standings for large parts of the season - but the World Rally Championship crown continues to evade Mid Wales' Elfyn Evans.
The Dolgellau driver had fallen short on a number of previous occasions but he suffered fresh heartbreak at the Rally Saudi Arabia as he missed out again on the main prize.
The chance was the closest Evans had come to lifting the title - but in the end he finished just four points behind Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Sébastien Ogier.
Evans fired out of the blocks in the Championships and after ten of the 14 rounds he was leading the standings.
It looked like he was set to put all his disappointments behind him and become the first Welsh driver and the first British driver for years to take the title.
But his campaign was disrupted by a punctures, including in the opening stages in Saudi Arabia, and the set backs ultimately led to him missing out on the title.
Speaking after his heartbreak in Saudi, the Mid Wales driver admitted that a cautious approach on the opening leg in the last event cost him valuable time.
And he also explained that the heartbreak of it all has made him more determined than ever to make sure that 2026 is the year that he finally takes the top title.
He said: "“I think we did what we could this weekend. The tyre change on Friday didn’t help but that’s been the name of the game this week and everyone’s had their fair share of issues.
“I didn’t have a great run through the middle stage – I’ve been struggling a bit in the more sandy sections this weekend – and many others had problems which promoted Seb up the leaderboard.
“It wasn’t to be for us, but Seb and Vincent have been amazing all year and deserve this title.
“I’m a competitor and I always want more, but it’s been a good season with a fantastic team behind us, pushing us all the way: thank you to everyone for the amazing job.”
Despite missing out on the overall prize, Evans and his co-driver Scott Martin had recorded a pretty consistent season, but for some mishaps that proved costly.
They had finished inside the top six at all of the 14 rallies on the calendar, taking two victories and six podiums.
"It won’t stop us from trying again next season. We’re not in the game to just be in contention, we always want to go for the big crown," added the Welshman.
Evans led the standings heading into the weekend's race by three points from team mate Ogier, who overturned the deficit to clinch a record-equalling ninth FIA World Rally Championship title alongside co-driver Vincent Landais.
The final race proved to be a tough outing for all the drivers - with it being the first ever one to be held in Saudi. The soft desert tracks and rocky mountains proved difficult conditions for the drivers.
Neither Evans, Ogier or rival Kalle Rovanpera were in contention to win the actual race, and Ogier paid tribute to Evans and his co-driver after the race, insisting champions need great opponents.
He added: "What a fight it’s been with Elfyn and Scott. A great champion needs great opponents, and they have been super strong and pushing us to the limits until the very last stage of the year.”