ELFYN Evans begins a new chapter in his World Rally Championship (WRC) career in Monte Carlo this weekend.

The Dolgellau star arrives on the French coast for the opening round of the World Rally Championship season with his new Toyota team.

Evans spent more than a decade with the Cumbrian-based M-Sport Ford team while winning both the British Rally Championship (BRC) and Wales Rally GB in 2017.

However Evans has now joined the rival Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team having replaced 2019 WRC champion Ott Tanak in the stable following the Estonian’s switch to Hyundai.

Evans forms part of an impressive new-look Toyota squad lining up alongside si -time World Rally Champion Sébastien Ogier and the emerging Kalle Rovanpera.

Evans said: “This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really excited to get going.

“Toyota has been extremely competitive in a surprisingly short space of time and already has multiple world championships to its name and I’m looking forward to being part of it.

“The competitiveness of the car is a given, but what also attracted me to make the move from M-Sport was the commitment from Toyota to the WRC programme. It looks very promising for the future.”

Now with a two-year contract safely in his pocket, the 31-year-old is confident he can start adding to Toyota’s successes in the 13-round WRC campaign.

“I only have one win to my name and I definitely want to add to that this year,” said Evans who won the 2107 Wales Rally GB.

“We want to win every rally, not just Wales Rally GB.”

In readiness for the opening two rounds in Monte Carlo and Sweden, Evans has already tested the Yaris on the asphalt roads of the French Alps as well as in the snowy forests of wintry Scandinavia.

“Everyone has been very welcoming and I found a good feeling with the car quite quickly," added Evans.

"Everything felt really nice and I was able to get some good understanding, so I’m now really looking to my first event with Toyota."

Evans will have 11 global showdowns to rediscover his winning touch before returning home for Wales Rally GB; the UK’s revered round on the World Rally Championship calendar, which in 2020 reverts to a more traditional end-of-season date between Thursday October 29 and Sunday November 1.