Evans takes charge on day 2 of WRC Rally Sweden

Elfyn Evans will carry a 13.3s advantage into Sunday’s final day at Rally Sweden after a commanding Saturday drive put the Toyota Gazoo Racing firmly in control.

The Welshman turned a 2.8s overnight deficit into a slender but decisive cushion over teammate Takamoto Katsuta, with Sami Pajari completing a GR Yaris Rally1 1-2-3 after another assured display from the Finn.

The rally swung immediately on SS9 Vannas 1. Evans struck hard on the opening test, outpacing overnight leader Katsuta by 7.2s to pass the Japanese driver and seize a 4.4s advantage. He then stretched the gap to 18.0s by SS13 before Katsuta used the final two tests to trim the margin back to 13.3s heading into the final leg.

“This morning was pretty good but this afternoon a bit more mixed,” Evans said. “Looking after the tires was a bit more difficult and not my speciality, but it has still been a clean afternoon.”

Katsuta, chasing what would be his first WRC victory, struggled to explain a sudden loss of feeling from the car as the day unfolded.

“I feel like I have no traction and no grip. I don’t know why. It is so strange,” he admitted.

Katsuta was wheeling in the wrong direction Saturday, but still has a shot at a first WRC win. McKlein Photography/Getty Images

Behind them, Pajari underlined his growing authority at Rally1 level. Fastest times on SS12 and SS14 consolidated third overall, 25.4s adrift of the lead but comfortably clear of the fight behind.

Early favorite Oliver Solberg continued his recovery from Friday’s time loss to climb from sixth to fourth, 58.4s down. The Swede found conditions increasingly challenging as the loose snow base broke up.

“It has been a tricky afternoon, difficult to find the rhythm and the confidence,” the championship leader said. “It’s like an ice rink in places.”

Lappi was best of the Hyundai contingent after another challenging day in the snow. McKlein Photography/Getty Images

It proved another challenging day for Hyundai Motorsport. Esapekka Lappi ended Saturday fifth, 1m09.5s from the lead, with Adrien Fourmaux sixth after experimenting with aggressive damper changes in search of pace. Thierry Neuville, seventh, topped the times on the final stage of the day but conceded performance remained elusive.

“That is all we have at the moment, but at least we had a bit of fun,” Neuville reflected.

Saturday delivered a breakthrough for M-Sport Ford. Martiņs Sesks impressed on SS10 Sarsjoliden 1, beating Evans by 0.9s to claim his eighth WRC stage win in a Ford Puma Rally1. He later managed water-pressure warnings but reached the overnight halt safely. Teammate Jon Armstrong held eighth overall, while Josh McErlean overcame intermittent light-pod issues at high speed to hold ninth ahead of WRC2 leader Roope Korhonen.

Martins Sesks rebounded from his Friday issues to win a stage in his Ford. Jaanus Ree/Red Bull Content Pool

Three stages remain on Sunday: a double pass of Vastervik followed by the rally-deciding Wolf Power Stage at Umea 2.

WRC Rally Sweden, positions after Saturday/Leg Two, SS15
1 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 2h05m14.6s
2 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +13.3s
3 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +25.4s
4 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +58.4s
5 Esapekka Lappi/Enni Malkonen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1m09.5s
6 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1m17.7s
7 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2m10.0s
8 Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1) +3m24.8s
9 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +4m48.8s
10 Roope Korhonen/Anssi Viinikka (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2 leader) +8m24.1s

• Watch the rally-closing, bonus points-paying Wolf Power Stage action from Rally Sweden LIVE on RACER Network and the RACER+ App on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 6am ET. Plus, for a deeper dive into the FIA World Rally Championship, check out the WRC Magazine Show on RACER Network. Catch the latest episode on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5:30am ET, before LIVE Power Stage coverage.

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