Elfyn Evans secured a narrow victory at Rally Sweden, edging out Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta by just 3.8 seconds in a thrilling final-day battle. The win propelled Evans to the top of the FIA World Rally Championship standings.

The victory marked Evans' 10th WRC career win, showcasing impressive control on Sweden's frozen stages. Despite briefly losing the lead to Katsuta early Sunday, Evans and co-driver Scott Martin fought back decisively on the final stages, including a commanding run through the Wolf Power Stage.

Hyundai's Thierry Neuville completed the podium, finishing 11.9 seconds behind Evans, while teammate Ott Tanak took fourth place just 4.9 seconds behind Neuville. Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera finished fifth, struggling to find rhythm on the new Hankook studded tires.

In WRC2, Oliver Solberg dominated with his third consecutive class win in Sweden, finishing 42.5 seconds ahead of Roope Korhonen in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 cars.

Final Top 5 Positions:

1. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota) 2h33m39.2s
2. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota) +3.8s
3. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai) +11.9s
4. Ott Tanak/Martin Jarveoja (Hyundai) +16.8s
5. Kalle Rovanpera/Jonne Halttunen (Toyota) +32.8s

WRC Drivers' Championship Standings:

1. Evans - 61 points
2. Ogier - 33 points
3. Rovanpera - 31 points
4. Neuville - 29 points
5. Tanak - 26 points

The WRC continues with Safari Rally Kenya, March 20-23, where teams will face challenging conditions including dust, rutted tracks, and potential flash rain showers.

Related Articles

Previous Articles