Elfyn Evans' WRC title hopes falter as Oliver Solberg leads Rally Italia Sardegna

Elfyn Evans' hopes of claiming a first World Rally Championship (WRC) crown are hanging by a thread after rival Oliver Solberg took the lead in the title-deciding Rally Italia Sardegna.

Solberg was again the fastest driver across Saturday morning's three stages, leapfrogging the overnight top two, Hyundai pair Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux.

The 25-year-old Swede leads Neuville by 2.7 seconds, while Evans lies in sixth place, one minute 57.7 seconds behind the new rally leader.

The Welshman had taken a 17-point lead into the final round of the season, but on current positions that gap would be reduced to four.

With up to 10 points available as Sunday bonuses, and given Solberg's flying form in Sardinia, that puts him as the favourite to claim a maiden world title rather than his Toyota team-mate.

"A bit out of my control, I feel, with the road cleaning so much," said Welshman Evans when asked about the title race after stage 10.

"[We're] not realistically going to catch anybody in front, got to stay clean for now."

Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier lies third, Fourmaux fourth and Sami Pajari, who could also still win the WRC title, in fifth position.

The Finn is 42.2 seconds ahead of Evans and co-driver Scott Martin, who were again unable to match the fastest times on Saturday despite no longer facing the challenge of being the first car out on loose gravel surfaces.

Trailing 51.7 seconds behind Evans in seventh place is Josh McErlean, who lost time on stage 10 with a half-spin to avoid a tree.

McErlean's M-Sport Ford team-mate and fellow Irishman Jon Armstrong is ninth.

Evans will guarantee himself a first WRC title if he collects 19 points from the maximum 35 available to any one driver over a rally weekend.

He has averaged 19.2 points per event this season.

The winner of the rally will collect 25 points, with 17 for second, 15 for third and so on down to one for 10th place.

A further five, four, three, two and one points are available for the five quickest drivers over Sunday's four stages, with the same bonuses awarded for the fastest times on the final Power Stage.

That means any of these five scenarios would guarantee Evans his first world title.

First place

Second overall plus at least two Sunday bonus points

Third overall plus at least four bonus points

Fourth overall plus at least seven bonus points

Fifth overall plus at least nine bonus points