Evans Extends Lead After Dramatic SS3 in Sweden 2026

WRC, Sportrik Media – Elfyn Evans extended his overall advantage at Rally Sweden 2026 following a dramatic SS3 Andersvattnet 1 that reshuffled the order behind him.

The 20.51-kilometre stage delivered multiple incidents. Thierry Neuville of Hyundai Motorsport ran into a snowbank and was forced to stop to clear his heavily misted windscreen, costing the Belgian significant time.

“I touched the snowbank and it pulled me in. Then the windscreen went completely foggy,” Neuville explained.

Further trouble struck M-Sport Ford, with both Josh McErlean and Martins Sesks suffering additional punctures, compounding what has already been a difficult morning for the British squad.

At the front, Toyota once again dictated the pace. Evans set the fastest time, finishing five seconds clear of team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, who also brushed a snowbank at the same location as Neuville but was able to continue with minimal delay.

“There was no grip at all. The road will probably clean up a lot for the cars behind,” Evans noted.

Adrien Fourmaux was third fastest on the stage for Hyundai, while Esapekka Lappi set the fourth quickest time despite struggling with traction.

“It felt terrible. There was almost no grip and the car was just sliding everywhere,” Lappi said.

In the overall standings, Evans now leads by 11.5 seconds over Katsuta. Sami Pajari remains third, 18.4 seconds off the lead after a solid run through the morning.

“The grip was really low in places, so it was hard to go any faster,” Pajari commented at the stage finish.

Lappi holds fourth overall ahead of Fourmaux, while Oliver Solberg drops to sixth after two off-road moments during the morning loop, trailing Evans by 37.5 seconds.

“I went off the road. There’s so much snow,” Solberg reported.

With five stages still to run on Friday, evolving surface conditions and deepening ruts are expected to continue influencing the competitive balance at Rally Sweden 2026.