Elfyn Evans received a hero’s welcome in the Welsh town of Dolgellau on Thursday evening (15 October), celebrating his historic World Rally Championship triumph with the community that has supported him since childhood.

Born in Dolgellau and raised in nearby Dinas Mawddwy, Evans drove his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 into Eldon Square, where fans braved the rain to celebrate Wales’ first WRC drivers’ champion.

Earlier, he visited pupils at Ysgol Bro Idris, before treating spectators to a demonstration run in Dolgellau, with Wales’ First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth alongside him.

Evans and co-driver Scott Martin secured their first world titles in Sardinia on 4 October, ending a run of five championship runner-up finishes for Evans and making him Britain’s first WRC drivers’ champion since Richard Burns in 2001.

For Evans, sharing the achievement with the people who watched him grow up made the celebrations particularly special.

“I feel a bit honoured in a way,” he told Rally Scotland. “Of course, there was already a lot of support out in Sardinia, but not everybody had the ability to travel out there. So having this event is nice for everybody locally who’s supported me.”

Looking ahead, Evans hopes his championship success, the return of WRC coverage to the BBC and next year’s Rally Scotland will inspire a new generation of British rallying talent.

“There’s a great opportunity to grow the profile of the sport,” he said. “I’ve had the chance to achieve quite a bit in my career. Hopefully, this can generate more interest in the sport, and an upturn in opportunities for youngsters – opening doors for the next generation is what we can hope for.”

Having sampled Scotland’s fast gravel stages at August’s Grampian Forest Rally, Evans expects a demanding challenge when the WRC returns to British soil in 2027. But the new world champion has his sights firmly set on victory.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to perform well, and try to win,” he said. “Our target as always will be to try and deliver that for the British fans.”