Evans grabs WRC lead with Rally Sweden victory

Elfyn Evans leads the World Rally Championship (WRC) after two rounds, following victory at Rally Sweden.

The Welsh driver finished 14.3 seconds ahead of Toyota team-mate Takamoto Katsuta to win for the second successive year in the snow-bound forests of Vasterbotten, 600km north of Stockholm.

Finland's Sami Pajari completed an all-Gazoo Racing podium.

Jon Armstrong continued his encouraging WRC debut season with eighth place, just ahead of M-Sport Ford team-mate and fellow Irishman Josh McErlean.

Evans led for the majority of the four-day event in Sweden - and including 9 Sunday bonuses leads the championship by 13 points from round one winner Oliver Solberg who placed fourth this weekend.

"Pretty chuffed and relieved now," said 37-year-old Evans.

"It was difficult with all the tyre management but happy with the time in the end and happy with this result... a Toyota 1-2-3-4 feels amazing.

"It's always an amazing atmosphere in Sweden and it's a special rally for many reasons."

In his first season as a full-time Rally1 driver, Solberg took Thursday's opening stage in Umea before the 24-year-old Swede lost time - and the lead to Toyota team-mate Evans - on Friday's stage two.

Katsuta and his Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston briefly edged ahead over the final two stages of day two, but a commanding drive over Saturday saw the Welshman establish control of the rally.

The result was a repeat of last year's Rally Sweden when Evans finished less than four seconds ahead of Katsuta to move to the top of the WRC standings - before missing out on the title to Sebastien Ogier in the final event of 2025.

Frenchman Ogier was once again absent in Sweden this weekend as the nine-time world champion continues his part-time approach to the calendar.

Round three sees a complete change in conditions for the drivers from 12-15 March with the Safari Rally Kenya, an event where Evans also took victory in 2025.

1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 2 hours 35 minutes 53.1 seconds

2. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, +14.3s

3. Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota, +46.0s

4. Oliver Solberg (Sweden), Toyota, +1m 11.6s

5. Adrien Fourmaux (France), Hyundai, +1m 50.3s

6. Esapekka Lappi, (Finland), Hyundai, +1m 53.2s

7. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, +3m 45.9s

8. Jon Armstrong (Ireland), Ford, +4m 05.5s

9. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, +6m 05.4

1. Elfyn Evans (Great Britain), Toyota, 60 points

2. Oliver Solberg (Sweden), Toyota, 47

3. Takamoto Katsuta (Japan), Toyota, 30

4. Adrien Fourmaux (France), Hyundai, 28

5. Thierry Neuville (Belgium), Hyundai, 21

6. Sebastien Ogier (France), Toyota, 18

7. Sami Pajari (Finland), Toyota, 17

Selected

12. Jon Armstrong (Ireland), Ford, 4

14. Josh McErlean (Ireland), Ford, 2