Evans Leads Toyota 1-2-3 in Sweden, Solberg Fifth

WRC, Sportrik Media – Elfyn Evans leads a commanding Toyota Gazoo Racing 1-2-3 at Rally Sweden 2026 after a dramatic Friday morning, with Oliver Solberg slipping to fifth overall.

Solberg had entered the first full day of competition in the lead after winning Thursday night’s Umeå opener by 3.8 seconds over Evans. However, the Welshman moved into the lead on Friday’s first stage after Solberg stalled at a hairpin late in SS2.

The situation worsened for Solberg on SS3 when he lost the rear of his GR Yaris Rally1 and slid into deep snow. He managed to free the car by burying the throttle but suffered a front-left puncture in the process, dropping from second to sixth overall. A stage win on the final test of the morning lifted him back to fifth, just 0.1 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai Motorsport, though he remains 36.3 seconds adrift of Evans.

Evans was one of the few drivers to complete SS2 through SS4 without significant drama, enabling him to build an early advantage. However, road position may become a factor on the second pass, with Evans running as the second car on the road.

Takamoto Katsuta holds second place and expressed confidence ahead of the next loop given his lower starting position. He is closely followed by team-mate Sami Pajari, who sits just 8.8 seconds behind.

On his return to WRC competition, Esapekka Lappi is the leading Hyundai in fourth overall, 34.9 seconds off the rally lead. Meanwhile, Thierry Neuville lost over a minute after being pulled into a snowbank on SS3 and unfastening his seat belts to clear his misted windscreen.

For M-Sport Ford, Jon Armstrong is the leading car but already trails by 1m43.8s after a difficult morning. Mārtiņš Sesks suffered two front punctures on the day’s opening stage, losing over seven minutes changing tyres before collecting another puncture on SS3. Josh McErlean also endured two rear punctures on SS3, prompting team principal Richard Millener to admit tyre pressures had been too low for the evolving conditions.

With deepening ruts and increasing tyre vulnerability shaping the competitive picture, the afternoon loop is poised to play a decisive role in the fight for overall victory at Rally Sweden 2026.