Evans: New Toyota WRC car has the "ingredients” for success in 2022 - Motorsport.com

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The two-time WRC title runner-up showed glimpses of his pace behind the wheel of Toyota's 2022 WRC challenger during an ultimately frustrating debut at Monte Carlo last weekend.

Evans was seemingly on course for a podium, occupying a comfortable third position, before a "clumsy" error on Saturday's stage 11 ended his hopes.

The Welshman was able to recover from clipping a grass bank thanks to a group of spectators, who were able to push the car back onto the road after it had beached itself on a steep hillside.

Prior to the mistake, Evans was only 9.3s adrift of leaders Sebastien Ogier and Sebastien Loeb after showing strong speed from the GR Yaris.

After struggling to get comfortable in the new car during testing, Evans has been encouraged by the performance shown by the GR Yaris and believes he will will be able to got at the sharp end this season.

Loeb went on to win the rally for M-Sport Ford, while Ogier finished second for Toyota, the two respective teams were level pegging for pace across the rally.

"Definitely I would say," Evans told Motorsport.com, when asked if he'd thought he had a car that can challenge the best this year.

"We don't know how we will fare as a lot of rallies that will come are very specific, but for sure the ingredients are there.

"I think overall the guys have done a really good job. It was always going to be difficult as the testing was not vast let's say coming in [to Monte Carlo].

"To be honest I found a much happier place with the car during the event than what I had done in testing.

"It's thanks to the guys they have put in a lot of effort to get this over the line and all the cars finished without any issue, so that is a big tick in the box and I have to thank them a lot."