British driver poised to become World Rally Champion for the first time for 25 years.

30 September 2026

If Welshman Elfyn Evans wins the 2026 WRC title, he will be the first British driver to do so since Richard Burns in 2001 and Colin McRae in 1995.

Elfyn Evans (Ralio - a Tinopolis production for S4C)

The FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) was introduced in 1973 to provide a global platform for drivers and manufacturers hitherto restricted to solely national or regional events. Although the regulations – as with other championships – have changed down the years, the current Group Rally 1 specification cars have been used since 2022 and the regulations are to change yet again from 2027.

The points system is slightly more complex than Formula One with the first ten finishers in each rally being awarded 25 points for a win down to 1 point for tenth place.There are additional points awarded to the five fastest on the final stage of each event (called the Power Stage) ranging from 5 down to 1 point as well as additional points for the fastest 5 drivers over all stages for the final Sunday. The maximum possible score is, therefore, 35 (25 + 5 + 5).

Leading the 2026 championship by just 17 points is Welsh driver Elfyn Evans with just the Rally Italia Sardegna on the 1st to 4th October left in the calendar following the removal of the WRC element of the Rally Saudi Arabia in November due to security and safety concerns in the Middle East. The Sardegna event will be held on stages in the North of the island based on the area near Alghero.

If Evans wins the 2026 WRC title, he will be the first British driver to do so since Richard Burns in 200 and Colin McRae in 1995.

Gwyndaf Evans (National Motor Museum Motoring Picture Library)

Welsh speaking Elfyn Evans was born in Dolgellau on the 28th December 1988 and is the son of Welsh rally legend, and 1996 British Rally Championship winner, Gwyndaf Evans. Competing in the WRC since 2007 and full-time since 2014 with the Cumbrian based M-Sport Ford team, he has won thirteen WRC rallies beginning, appropriately, with his victory in the Wales Rally GB in 2017. He became British Junior Rally Champion in 2010. Since 2020, he has driven for Toyota Gazoo Racing – the team is operated from Finland = with his current co-driver Scott Martin.

Evans has been the most consistent scorer across the WRC this year but will need at least 19 points from Sardegna to secure the Championship if his closes rival, Finnish Toyota team-mate Sami Pajari, scores maximum points.

Colin Mcrae And Series Mcrae Subaru Impreza Turbo 1995

Colin McRae MBE

Colin McRae MBE was born in Lanark in 1968 and was the first British driver to win the World Rally Championship in 1995 driving for the Prodrive run Subaru team after a dominant victory in the final round off that year’s Championship , the RAC Rally of Great Britain. At the time, he was the youngest driver to win the Championship and later became the most successful with 25 outright wins. He was awarded the MBE in 1996 for services to motorsport. He was killed in a helicopter accident near his home in 2007. Colin’s father Jimmy was a five time winner of the British Rally Championship

Richard Burns

Richard Burns was born in Reading in 1971 and became only the second British driver to secure the World title. His WRC score was 10 wins overall initially driver for Mitsubishi before claiming his World Championship in 2001 with Subaru. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2003 and. Despite a successful operation, died two years later.