Elfyn Evans extended his lead in his bid for a first World Rally Championship (WRC) title despite finishing sixth at Delfi Rally Estonia.
Sami Pajari’s maiden win alongside co-driver and Finnish compatriot Marko Salminen helped him rise to third in the rankings.
Welshman Evans and partner Scott Martin finished just over two minutes behind Pajari on Sunday after the 18 stages that began on Friday.
Japan hope Takamoto Katsuta held on to second spot in the title standings after a 21st-place finish, but Evans gained eight points to establish a 15-point lead over his nearest challenger.
Sweden’s Oliver Sojberg and British co-driver Elliott Edmondson took second in Estonia with Adran Formaux (France) third, Thierry Neuville (Belgium) fourth and Sebastien Ogier (France) fifth.
Motorsport Ireland’s Jon Armstrong was ninth, but after taking a best-ever fourth in Greece in the last round, fellow countryman Josh McErlean ended the Estonia event 43rd.
The teams will now prepare for the remaining five rallies, starting in Finland from 30 July-2 August, that will decide the 2026 winner.
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