In an exclusive column, the Toyota co-driver looks back on his journey in the WRC, starting in 2004
Photography by Toyota
Words by Scott Martin
In a column that first appeared on Club DirtFish, Scott Martin reflects on his journey to 200 World Rally Championship events.
I remember my first world championship event as a co-driver like it was yesterday. It wasn’t, it was the 2004 Rally GB, with Matt Wilson.
That was my first and Central European Rally last week was my 200th. Reaching that number is a very special and unique achievement. It was fantastic to celebrate with the team who surprised me with some presents just before the start. Winning the rally would’ve been perfect, but we’ll take second. Second on the 200th, I suppose that’s written in the stars.
Back to the beginning and that first one… The first stage was on Thursday night around the Bay in Cardiff. With it being a superspecial they reversed the seeding. We were first on the road for my first ever WRC rally in a WRC car – a proper Ford Focus World Rally Car! I can’t accurately say how I was feeling… I’m not sure I can use the words that come to mind on (Club) DirtFish anyway!
I had very little experience back then so I was in at the deep end, but I’d worked at M-Sport and Matt grew up with M-Sport, so we had a lot of insight from watching what was around us. But still, to go into the world stage with a proper car and be seeded among the greats was special. I must admit, though, I was a little worried boy that Thursday night – there were so many driving and co-driving heroes and legends all starting behind us. But once we got that stage done we really enjoyed the rally.
It’s incredible how the starts have racked up since. There were a few years where I wasn’t in the WRC, but I was doing ERC and some other events, so it’s even more rallies in total. And it’s not just as a co-driver, I’d done a good few as a mechanic too. I was working for M-Sport before I started co-driving which was great experience. Our deputy team principal at Toyota, Juha Kankkunen, drove one of the first rally cars I worked on: the 1998 Escort [WRC] in the Valvoline colors. Now we’re going back!
There’s obviously been some highlights in that time, but I wouldn’t like to pick just one. That first world championship podium with Craig in Finland (2016) was so special and then, of course, the first WRC win in Sweden 2020 with Elfyn has to be up there. Winning Rally Finland and Rally Japan twice is also very special – with Finland the home of our team and Japan the home of Toyota, I mean how cool is that?
Winning Rally Finland, and Rally Japan (pictured), twice are special memories
There are others too for quite personal reasons, but all the victories do stand out as well as all the success we’ve enjoyed as a team. To secure a fifth consecutive manufacturers’ championship, and to have played a part in all of them with Elfyn, is a special way to celebrate my 200th.
The more eager-eyed among you might have noticed a bit of a change for me on the 200th event. I started wearing the glasses. Elfyn reckons I’ve been squinting for about as long as he’s known me, but I did surprise him by reading the notes from my phone last year!
If I’m honest, I probably should have tried them out before – but on Friday lunchtime the time had come, especially with all the additional gravel crew information coming and being written into the notes – usually in smaller letters. I knew I’d have to try them out. I said to myself: “Don’t take a chance, Scott.”
When it came to putting them on before that first stage on Friday afternoon, it reminded me, God bless him, of Craig [Breen] and the routine he used to go through with his glasses. I was thinking: “How did he do it? Was it inside the balaclava or outside?” So, before the stage I was fiddling around thinking I probably should have tried this out a bit more… And then there was the question of whether they’d steam up and what happens if they do? But I’m glad I put them on and I’ve worn them ever since on the stages even on the road sections to be fair.
It’s good to see the world more clearly now!
As for the future, it’s 201 in Japan next month and then we’ll see how many rallies I have left in me. For sure I want to do more, the chapter doesn’t end here, but one thing I do know is that I won’t be around for another 200 – I’m confident of that!
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Words:Scott Martin
Tags: Central European Rally 2025, column, Elfyn Evans, Scott Martin, WRC
Publish Date October 24, 2025 DirtFish
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