Elfyn Evans stamped his authority early at Rally Sweden, grabbing the overnight lead after a blistering run through Thursday night’s 3.2-mile superspecial stage under the cover of darkness. The Toyota driver edged out team-mate Kalle Rovanperä and Hyundai’s Ott Tänak by just 0.5 seconds, setting the tone for what promises to be a fierce battle on the icy roads of Scandinavia.
Evans Takes Advantage of Optimal Road Position
With minimal fresh snowfall, running first on the road proved to be a golden opportunity. While drivers further down the order had to navigate deteriorating ice conditions and deepening grooves, Evans made the most of a clean surface to seize the early advantage.
“Obviously, the braking points are difficult in the dark like this,” Evans admitted. “It’s a bit tricky to judge, but all OK.”
His rivals weren’t far behind. Rovanperä and Tänak posted identical times, showing they are already locked in for battle. However, Rovanperä’s strategy could be telling—he opted to carry an extra spare wheel in preparation for Friday’s critical stages, sacrificing weight in the short run but potentially gaining an edge later.
“It all counts tomorrow,” the Finnish ace acknowledged. “When it’s like this, even starting first can be good because you have a fresh road and no lines anywhere—it’s quite clean.”
Tänak, making his first competitive outing in Hyundai’s upgraded i20, seemed content with his pace despite the challenging surface. “The feeling is good in the car, shakedown and here seem to be working fine as well,” said the 2019 world champion. “Obviously, the surface is breaking up quite a bit, but all good for tomorrow.”
Early Drama as Snowbanks and Intercom Issues Strike
Behind the leading trio, Adrien Fourmaux clocked the fourth-fastest time, overcoming a brush with a snowbank that left his Hyundai i20 with minor cosmetic damage. “A bit surprised on one corner, so I hit the bumper,” he admitted. “Nothing major. I just struggled to get the pace at the beginning, then it came more and more.”
World champion Thierry Neuville, however, suffered a frustrating start. Despite topping shakedown, he could only muster fifth place, 3.7 seconds off Evans’ pace, after encountering intercom issues. Playing it safe, Neuville took a cautious approach, a rare sight for the aggressive Belgian.
“Every time I’m in this stage, I’m always on the limit with braking, but this time I was the opposite—I was a bit early,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to risk anything in there.”
Toyota and M-Sport Drivers Struggle with Road Conditions
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari rounded out the top seven, their times suffering due to less favorable road positions. Katsuta acknowledged the challenges ahead, saying, “Tomorrow’s stages will be quite different, so hopefully not like this!”
Further down the order, M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean was the standout performer, securing eighth place despite admitting to “a bit scrappy” driving in the junctions. His team-mates, Grégoire Munster and Mārtiņš Sesks, struggled to find grip, with Munster visibly frustrated. “I don’t know, I don’t manage to find grip, and it was the same in shakedown. We’ll see what we can do.”
Sesks, meanwhile, lost time after making a mistake at the first junction but remained close to Munster, just 0.5 seconds adrift.
The Stage is Set for a Fierce Friday Battle
With 77 competitive stage miles on tap for Friday, the real battle for Rally Sweden is only just beginning. With road position playing a crucial role and the snow-packed terrain set to evolve rapidly, the tension at the top is already heating up.
Can Evans hold his early lead, or will Rovanperä and Tänak turn the tables when the real test begins? One thing’s for sure—Rally Sweden is already delivering fireworks.
