During a rally, Elfyn Evans faced an unexpected challenge when his co-driver, Scott Martin, accidentally left his pacenote book at the time control after stage six. This forced Martin to rely on a digital version of the pacenotes stored on his smartphone for three subsequent stages. The incident was triggered by a bottleneck at the end of stage 6, which delayed Martin’s retrieval of his pacenote book.
Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe also faced delays at the time control, adding to the confusion. Martin, upon realizing his mistake, had to adapt quickly to reading the digitized pacenotes from his phone screen, a situation he had prepared for by creating digital backups in advance.
Despite the unconventional method, Evans was impressed by Martin’s ability to cope with the situation, noting occasional stumbles but overall effectiveness. Martin admitted to a moment of panic initially but was relieved that his preparation paid off, ensuring they could continue the rally without significant disruption.
Reflecting on the incident, Martin emphasized the importance of expecting the unexpected and having contingency plans in place. Despite his success with the digital pacenotes, he expressed a preference for traditional pen and paper, indicating that the smartphone method might not become standard practice in the future.
The pacenote mishap added to a challenging day for Evans, who had been struggling with confidence in his car before encountering a puncture in stage seven. Despite setbacks, Evans remained focused on learning from the experience and improving their performance for future stages, acknowledging the need to find the right setup and regain a positive feeling with the car.
