Evans boosts WRC lead as Neuville wins in Portugal

"Just the rear stepped out quite quickly and then touched the bank and put the car into a roll on the road, so really frustrated to obviously go out like this."

The 31-year-old driver had made a promising start to his WRC debut season, including a top-10 finish in Sweden, but has now suffered crashes in consecutive rallies.

"We just have to try and learn as much as possible from that," he added.

"It's not good to crash one of these cars, so yeah we'll try to pick ourselves up and going to Japan you still have to have confidence too, so we just have to get our head back into it."

Round seven, based in Toyota City, sees Rally Japan moved from the November slot it has held in recent years to 28-31 May.

Rally organisers fined

Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin were winners of Rally de Portugal in 2021 [Getty Images]

The organiser of Rally de Portugal, Automovel Club de Portugal (ACP), has been given a €15,000 (£13,000) suspended fine after two non-rally vehicles entered stage seven, with Evans among the drivers impeded.

ACP has also been warned to "further improve existing safety measures".

On the first stage of Friday afternoon, the Welsh driver caught up to a recovery truck, which then swiftly pulled over at the next junction.

"Obviously it was a pure shock at the time, " said Evans shortly after the day-two incident.

"It was dust first and we didn't know what would be causing that as first car on the road. After, I couldn't believe it.

"We know that we can't be in this situation again."

The stage was red-flagged following a second incident and ACP president Carlos Barbosa said the company managing the vehicles that entered the course was relieved of its duties with the rally immediately.

"Rally Portugal is so exemplary regarding safety that this is an episode that obviously won't cause lasting damage, in the sense that it shouldn't have happened," Barbosa added.

The ACP president said the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) was also investigating how the recovery truck had passed three police checkpoints without being stopped.

The fine is suspended until 31 December 2027, so would be triggered if there were a repeat violation next year.

Rally de Portugal result

1. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 3 hours 53 minutes 01.7 seconds

2. Oliver Solberg (Sweden), Toyota, +16.3s

3. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, +29.1s

4. Adrien Fourmaux (France), Hyundai, 54.8s

5. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, +1m 12.6s

6. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, +1m 26.6s

7. Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota, +2m 50.9

Selected

18. Josh McErlean (Ireland) Ford, +20m 07.9s

RET Jon Armstrong (Ireland) Ford

FIA World Rally Championship drivers' standings (provisional)

1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota,123 points

2. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, 111

3. Oliver Solberg (Sweden), Toyota, 92

4. Adrien Fourmaux (France), Hyundai, 79

5. Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota, 78

6. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 67

7. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 65

Selected

14. Jon Armstrong (Ireland), Ford, 10

15. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, 6