Elfyn Evans fended off a decided cost from Toyota GAZOO Racing team-mate Takamoto Katsuta on Sunday to safe victory at Rally Sweden and transfer into the FIA World Rally Championship lead.
After 4 days of intense motion on Umeå’s frozen phases, Evans delivered when it mattered most – shutting the door on Katsuta in a dramatic final-day shootout to assert his tenth profession WRC win by 3.8sec.
Beginning Sunday with a razor-thin 3.0sec benefit, the Welshman briefly misplaced the lead as Katsuta got here out firing, producing a 7.5sec stage win on Västervik’s opening run. However Evans and co-driver Scott Martin have been fast to reply.
They fought again in model on the repeated run that adopted, setting the benchmark time to reclaim management by 3.7sec earlier than hammering residence their benefit with a commanding drive by means of the rally-ending Wolf Energy Stage – sealing victory as Katsuta held off Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who completed 11.9sec again from the highest spot in third.
The outcome moved Evans to the highest of the FIA World Rally Championship standings with a lead of 28 factors after two of 14 rounds, constructing on his runner-up end on the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo final month.
Neuville, the reigning champion, needed to work onerous to safe the ultimate podium spot, warding off resurgent team-mate Ott Tänak by simply 4.9sec. Tänak, hindered by an engine mapping challenge on his i20 N Rally1 on Saturday, was again to kind for Tremendous Sunday and third solely to Evans and Katsuta in outright tempo throughout the ultimate day.
Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä endured a irritating weekend, struggling to seek out his traditional rhythm. The Toyota star claimed only one stage win throughout the rally’s 18 exams and in the end trailed Tänak by 16.0sec as he settled for fifth place.
Mārtiņš Sesks delivered a strong efficiency on his WRC return, securing sixth place as M-Sport Ford’s prime finisher. The Latvian ended the rally 17.6sec forward of Toyota’s Sami Pajari, whereas Josh McErlean – who had been working eighth – slid down the order after getting his Puma Rally1 caught in a snowbank on the primary stage of the day.
Grégoire Munster inherited eighth from team-mate McErlean.
Solberg untouchable with third straight WRC2 Sweden win
In ninth total, Oliver Solberg delivered one more masterclass on residence floor, clinching a dominant third consecutive WRC2 victory.
The Swede was untouchable from begin to end on the quick, snow-covered roads round Umeå, steering his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to glory with a commanding 42.5sec margin over Roope Korhonen’s related automobile.
For Korhonen, the weekend was one to recollect. The 2023 WRC3 champion secured his maiden WRC2 podium, including to his earlier finest results of fourth – additionally achieved in Sweden. His efforts additionally noticed him declare prime honours within the WRC2 Challenger Championship for Drivers.
Mikko Heikkilä ensured Škoda illustration on the rostrum, ending third in his Fabia RS Rally2, 25.8sec adrift of Korhonen. The Finn had been locked in a fierce battle for the ultimate podium spot with compatriot Lauri Joona and Estonia’s Georg Linnamäe, however a string of top-three stage occasions on Saturday – adopted by the quickest time on Sunday’s opener 0 noticed him break clear, in the end ending virtually 40 seconds forward of Joona.
Linnamäe, in the meantime, confirmed flashes of outright tempo however struggled for consistency. A sequence of stage wins have been offset by two expensive journeys into snowbanks which put the 26-year-old out of competition for a prime 10 outcome.
Sweden’s Isak Reiersen accomplished the highest 5, whereas Paraguay’s Fau Zaldivar disrupted the Nordic dominance by ending sixth.
Making his WRC2 debut in a prize-drive Ford Fiesta Rally2, reigning FIA Junior WRC champion Romet Jürgenson impressed with a strong seventh-place end — greater than a minute away from former WRC2 occasion winner Pontus Tidemand.
After a heavy crash at Rallye Monte-Carlo final month, Toyota GAZOO Racing WRC Problem Programme driver Yuki Yamamoto bounced again in model, recording his best-ever WRC2 end in ninth. Mexico’s Alejandro Mauro rounded out the highest 10 in a Fabia RS Rally2.
Spain’s Alexander Villanueva additionally had trigger for celebration, holding off Michał Sołowow to clinch WRC Masters Cup honours.
The FIA World Rally Championship heads to Africa subsequent for the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, spherical three of the season, from 20 – 23 March.
Gill triumphs in Sweden, however Johansson claims early Junior WRC lead
Taylor Gill stormed to his second FIA Junior WRC victory at Rally Sweden on Sunday, however it was residence hero Mille Johansson who walked away because the early championship chief after an exciting season opener.
Buying and selling Australia’s scorching warmth for Sweden’s frozen forests, Gill saved his cool by means of Sunday’s three-stage finale to seal victory by 22.8sec over native ace Johansson. Co-driven by Daniel Brkíc, the 21-year-old seized his golden alternative when Johansson’s hopes of a house win took a success – virtually three minutes misplaced in a snowbank on Saturday.
Regardless of the setback, Johansson, contesting his first full FIA Junior WRC season as a prize for successful the 2024 FIA Junior ERC title, confirmed blistering tempo. With a championship level awarded for each stage win, the Swede clawed again essential factors, setting quickest occasions on 12 of the rally’s 18 exams. That haul propelled him to the highest of the standings with 29 factors – two greater than rally winner Gill, who took solely two stage victories.
Irishman Eamonn Kelly couldn’t match Johansson’s Sunday tempo however held his floor to assert third, ending 59.9sec adrift of the Swede. He efficiently fended off Turkish challenger Ali Türkkan, who missed out on the rostrum by simply 8.4sec.
Türkkan’s compatriot and Junior WRC debutant Kerem Kazaz adopted in fifth, over a minute additional again, with Belgian newcomer Thomas Martens 15.9sec behind in sixth.
Claire Schönborn emerged because the WRC Younger Driver Workforce’s prime finisher in seventh, along with her and team-mate Lyssia Baudet ending virtually three minutes behind in eighth. Ninth went the best way of Frenchman Tristan Charpentier, who had proven early promise however tumbled down the order after an off-road tour on Friday.
Diego Dominguez rejoined on Sunday to complete tenth, whereas Max Sensible and Joosep Nõgene additionally salvaged outcomes after earlier setbacks.
The FIA Junior WRC heads to Vodafone Rally de Portugal subsequent (15 – 18 Might), the place Gill and Johansson will resume their battle on gravel.
