WRC Sweden 2026: Elfyn Evans Extends Rally Lead on Vastervik Stage

WRC Sweden 2026, Sportrik Media – Elfyn Evans strengthened his grip on Rally Sweden after setting the fastest time on the 25-kilometre Vastervik stage on Sunday morning.

The Toyota driver edged team-mate Takamoto Katsuta by 1.4 seconds on SS16, extending his overall rally lead to 14.7 seconds with only two stages remaining.

Katsuta displayed a noticeably stronger pace compared to Saturday’s struggles but admitted he could not fully explain the shift in performance.

“I really tried to push. In a couple of corners the pacenotes were slightly off and I ran wide. Somehow it feels completely different again compared to yesterday, but I can’t say why. I haven’t changed anything specific on the car. Maybe it’s more in the head,” Katsuta reflected.

World championship leader Oliver Solberg outpaced team-mate Sami Pajari by nearly ten seconds, although Pajari’s overall cushion in third place remains substantial at 24.7 seconds. With just two stages to go, the margin should be sufficient barring any major error.

“The stage went quite well, but it will continue to clean. Everyone starting behind should be quicker,” Solberg said.

“It was really difficult for me. The stage was messy and slippery, and I knew straight away the time wouldn’t be good. I need to drive better on the second pass. I didn’t find the same feeling as yesterday,” Pajari summarised.

Within the Hyundai camp, Esapekka Lappi remains the leading driver in fifth position, followed by team-mates Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville. M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong sits eighth ahead of Josh McErlean.

Toyota’s dominance was evident on the opening run of Super Sunday, with Hyundai drivers significantly off the pace. Lappi was 17.8 seconds slower than the benchmark time, Fourmaux a further second back, and Neuville more than 20 seconds adrift.

“It’s very easy to slip into the snowbanks. I hit them a couple of times, but not hard. There’s always a risk that the banks will take you in. It didn’t feel quick. With maximum commitment it might be possible to go faster, but I tried to avoid risks,” Lappi explained.

In WRC2, Roope Korhonen continues to lead ahead of Teemu Suninen by 17.7 seconds, with Lauri Joona holding third place. Finnish hopes of a top-four sweep ended when Tuukka Kauppinen retired due to an apparent technical issue.

With two special stages still to run, Evans now controls the rally, but the final outcome will hinge on maintaining composure through the closing kilometres of Rally Sweden 2026.