Evans Powers Historic Toyota Triumph in Sweden
Welsh star Elfyn Evans delivered a commanding performance at Rally Sweden, guiding Toyota Gazoo Racing to a remarkable 1-2-3-4 finish and seizing the early lead in the FIA World Rally Championship standings.
Starting Sunday’s final leg with a 13.3-second cushion, Evans controlled the snow-covered stages with precision to seal his third career Sweden victory, finishing 14.3 seconds ahead of team-mate Takamoto Katsuta. The result marked Toyota’s first consecutive podium lockouts since Citroën achieved the feat in 2010.
Evans also strengthened his points haul in the Wolf Power Stage, ending just 0.078 seconds behind stage winner Thierry Neuville.
“Obviously pretty chuffed and relieved right now. The team has done an incredible job again, and a Toyota 1-2-3-4 feels amazing.”
Evans said
Toyota Dominance Shapes the Podium
Katsuta, who briefly led earlier in the rally, pushed hard and claimed the penultimate test but fell short of a maiden WRC victory. Behind him, Sami Pajari secured third to complete the all-Toyota podium with a composed drive that kept Oliver Solberg at bay in fourth.
Solberg recovered strongly after an early setback, admitting the challenging Friday stages cost him a stronger result but acknowledging fourth place was fair given the circumstances.
Mixed Fortunes for Rivals
It proved a demanding weekend for Hyundai Motorsport. Adrien Fourmaux led the squad home in fifth after overtaking Esapekka Lappi late in the rally, while Neuville salvaged pride with Power Stage victory despite struggling with car balance throughout the event.
Further down the order, M-Sport Ford placed two cars inside the top nine, and WRC2 honours went to Roope Korhonen, who also rounded out the overall top 10.
Championship Momentum Builds Toward Kenya
The Sweden triumph lifts Evans 13 points clear at the top of the drivers’ standings after two rounds, while Toyota stretches its manufacturers’ advantage to 52 points over Hyundai.
Attention now turns to Africa for the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, scheduled for 12–15 March, where extreme heat and punishing terrain will present a dramatically different challenge in the early title fight.
