Top rally driver’s protest ‘has promoted Welsh language worldwide’

Martin Shipton

Welsh rallying superstar Elfyn Evans, whose victory in Safari Rally Kenya has cemented his lead in the 2025 World Rally Championship, has been praised for bringing the Welsh language to the attention of a massive worldwide audience.

Together with other members of the World Rally Drivers Alliance, Evans, 35, took part in a protest that resulted in him speaking Welsh rather than English as the Safari Rally, which ended on Sunday March 23, progressed.

The protest was in response to the motorsport’s world governing body the FIA clamping down on “inappropriate language” after French driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined 10,000 euros for swearing in a live television interview when describing a stage at Rally Sweden in February.

Limited comments

Evans, who was brought up in the Dinas Mawddwy area near Machynllech, was amongst the sport’s elite drivers who decided to remain silent or offered limited comments in their native languages at Safari Rally Kenya.

Evans’ former co-driver Andrew Edwards, who now organises the UK section of the European rally championship in Ceredigion, told Nation.Cymru: “It’s very good news for the Welsh language that Elfyn has promoted it in this way.

“It’s been estimated that a billion motorsports fans round the world tune into Safari Rally Kenya. The sport is massive. Many of these fans will already be aware that Elfyn is Welsh, but most probably didn’t know that the Welsh language existed. It’s now had a huge airing.

“The extent of support for the sport is clear when we hold the section of the European rally. Tens of thousands come from all over Europe to watch the drivers arrive in Aberystwyth.”

Back-to-back wins

In winning the Safari Rally Kenya, Evans claimed back-to-back World Rally Championship wins for the first time in his career.

The Toyota driver secured victory on the final, fourth, day in Kenya, beating Ott Tänak by one minute and 9.9 seconds. He now has a 36 point lead in the World Rally Championship. His win was said to have been as straightforward as it can be on the Safari. Minor problems like a 360-degree spin and a helmet swap on Friday due to an intercom beginning to fail were all he had to deal with as he managed things perfectly from the front.

Edwards said: “Elfyn is very focussed and very determined. His preparation for rallies is second to none in terms of fitness and researching the course.

“Obviously his aim is to become the world champion. He has come close on several occasions in the past, but this is his best shot so far.

“There’s a good argument that whoever wins the World Rally Championship has proved themselves to be the best driver in the world across all disciplines. Having to cope with rallying conditions, where one corner can be full of ice and the next is dry, takes great skill.”

Gwyndaf Evans

Evans is the son of former British Rally Championship champion Gwyndaf Evans. He made his rally debut in 2006 in a Nissan Micra. He appeared in a WRC rally for the first time at the Wales Rally GB in 2007. In 2010, Evans won the British Junior Rally Championship, and secured four victories out of six rallies in the 2012 WRC Academy (now the Junior WRC) as he claimed the series title.

He joined M-Sport Ford in 2013, and made a one-off appearance at Rally Italia Sardegna, where he finished sixth overall. The same year, Evans also participated in WRC2 in the Ford Fiesta R5, winning Wales Rally GB, his home event.

In 2016, Evans secured three rally victories on his way to second in the WRC2 Drivers’ Championship. He has participated in the WRC since 2017, a year in which he won the Wales Rally GB and also finished second overall in two further rallies. A series of dependable performances saw Evans finish fifth in the Drivers’ Championship. In 2019, he held the lead until the final stage at the Tour de Corse, growing into an all-rounder with the ability to win even on tarmac.

Evans has been a member of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT since 2020. He won victories at Rally Sweden and Rally Turkey, and finished second overall in the Drivers’ Championship. In 2021 he also won twice – at Rally Portugal and Rally Finland – and finished second in the Drivers’ Championship. In 2022, he finished second overall four times, finishing fourth in the Drivers’ Championship.

In 2023, he competed with Finnish driver Kalle Rovanperä for the drivers’ title until the 12th round, and ultimately came in second place in the Drivers’ Championship with his third win of the season in the 13th round, Rally Japan.