Evans ran off the highway on stage seven (Mortagua, 18.15km) whereas occupying sixth place following a difficult day opening the highway.
A drought breaking victory in Croatia final month meant the Welshman headed to Portugal tied on the prime of the championship standings with part-time Toyota team-mate Sebastien Ogier, who isn’t competing in Portugal this weekend.
Evans had been combating the stability of GR Yaris all through the day having confronted the worst of the highway situations.
Footage has now revealed that Evans went off the highway throughout stage seven at pace leading to a heavy collision into timber. The GR Yaris sustained heavy harm within the affect which triggered a small hearth that was rapidly extinguished.
Evans and co-driver Scott Martin emerged from the incident unscathed and have since undergone medical checks.
Elfyn Evans, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT
Picture by: Purple Bull Content material Pool
After recovering the automobile Toyota has now confirmed the harm is simply too extreme to permit Evans to rejoin the rally to salvage factors from Sunday’s Energy Stage.
“Elfyn and Scott underwent medical checks after their accident and are each doing properly,” learn a press release from the Toyota staff.
“After inspecting the harm to automobile #33, the staff has taken the choice to retire it from the rally.”
Friday proved to be a bittersweet day for Toyota as world champion Kalle Rovanpera accomplished the eight phases main the rally by 10.8s from Hyundai’s Dani Sordo. The Finn, beginning second on the highway, received three of the eight phases.
Rovanpera was the staff’s solely automobile to navigate by means of the schedule after team-mate Takamoto Katsuta was compelled to retire after struggling an alternator failure.
The issue emerged on the primary stage which in the end proved terminal after stage two. The Japanese will nonetheless rejoin the rally on Saturday.
“We needed to handle it however we knew it was going to be tough to proceed as we knew every thing would shutdown,” stated Katsuta.
“I felt good with the automobile however sadly the battery was utterly gone earlier than stage three.”
