M-Sport Ford World Rally Team leader Elfyn Evans sits fourth in the World Rally Championship standings heading into the summer break. Where will the Welshman be going to relax and reflect on six top-five finishes (and two podiums) from the first eight rallies?

Like many of his colleagues, Evans isn’t keen on airports and baggage carousels when he’s away from work.

“The travel part of the job is the only element which I’m really not that keen on,” he said. “If I get the chance to avoid an airport, I’ll happily do that.

“I’m pretty lucky where I am, I’m only about 15 minutes from the nearest beach, so I can make a call once we know what the weather’s going to be like. We’ll probably take a few days in a cottage somewhere, but I’m quite happy just catching up on normal stuff at home during the break.

“I’ve been away from home so much in the first half of the year, it’s good to get some jobs done around the house.”

Evans’ team-mate Teemu Suninen is on a similar wavelength and just one place behind him in the mid-season table.

Suninen added: “Where am I going on holiday? I’m going to Finland! Oh, and to Estonia for a few days as well!”

Suninen is, of course, joining Evans in Otepää for Rally Estonia (July 12-14). Suninen drives M-Sport Ford’s all-new Fiesta R5 while Evans runs the Fiesta WRC.

Suninen continues: “In the summer holidays, the Finnish people don’t really go away so much. Maybe we will go to the north or to the lakes for a while, but it’s not so much a time to fly away. Midsummer festivals are really big at home for me.

“I told to my friends: “'You just book something and decide, then tell me where I’m going!'”

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