Rallying-Solberg leads in Sardinia but Evans still on course for title

Oct 3 - Toyota's Oliver Solberg seized the lead in the world rally championship finale in Sardinia on Saturday but teammate Elfyn Evans remained on course for his first title.

Hyundai's overnight leader Thierry Neuville crashed out on stage 11, ending a tight battle with Solberg and sending the Swede well clear at the top of the leaderboard as the three-way title battle looked wide open with four stages still to come on Sunday.

Evans started the rally 17 points clear of Finland's Sami Pajari, also in a Toyota, and 21 clear of Solberg.

As things stood on Saturday evening, Welshman Evans remained on course for the title with his lead reduced to a provisional six points but plenty of potential pitfalls ahead.

Solberg led by 33.6 seconds from teammate and reigning nine-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, with Pajari third and Evans fifth.

Evans had been fourth going into the day's closing stage but lost the place to Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux, who won the stage. The Frenchman is 52.1 seconds behind Pajari.

"Of course now we have to try and change the strategy a bit. Let's see if it is enough," said Evans, who has finished overall runner-up five times in the last six seasons and would be Britain's third rally world champion if he can prevail on Sunday.

"I don't think it will be straightforward tomorrow. Today has been a tough day to try and hang in there with Oliver going so fast at the front. We have a long way to go. We have a tough day tomorrow. It is still wide open.”

The Alghero-based Italian round is the 13th and final rally of the season after the Saudi Arabia finale was cancelled due to conflict in the region.

Toyota have already won the manufacturers' title for the sixth year in a row. REUTERS