\n<\/p>\n
Among the casualties of the baked gravel roads was another Toyota driver Kalle Rovanpera, who finished outside the top 10.<\/p>\n
“It’s been a tough weekend, didn’t really have the pace we wanted,” said 36-year-old Evans.<\/p>\n
“We had to get to the end to get something, so could be worse.”<\/p>\n
Welshman Evans had built up an unprecedented 36-point lead after the first three rallies of the year, placing second behind Ogier in Monte Carlo before winning in Sweden and Kenya.<\/p>\n
His French team-mate has now won four of this season’s seven events and collected 10 bonus points in Greece, winning both Super Sunday and the powerstage, but the 41-year-old will skip the next round on the high-speed forest roads of Estonia.<\/p>\n
“I think we’ve had a super strong weekend,” Ogier said. <\/p>\n
“There wasn’t much we could do to Ott \u2013 he was really flying.”<\/p>\n
Ireland’s Josh McErlean was another beset by struggles, suffering a puncture on Friday and damaging his suspension and breaking a driveshaft on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He finished 12th in his M-Sport Ford Puma.<\/p>\n
“It took sheer determination from the team, because every service there was some job,” said McErlean.<\/p>\n
“Hopefully it gets a bit easier from here in Estonia and Finland.”<\/p>\n
England’s Gus Greensmith was one of several WRC2 drivers who claimed top-10 finishes.<\/p>\n
Round eight of the 14-event WRC series, Delfi Rally Estonia, runs from 17-20 July.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n