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Katsuta Seizes Rally Sweden Lead as Toyota Locks Out Top Three

Changing snow conditions flipped the morning running, leaving Evans chasing by seconds after Katsuta’s late surge.

Overview

  • Takamoto Katsuta leads by 2.8 seconds over Elfyn Evans after Friday’s final stage, with Sami Pajari third to complete a Toyota 1-2-3.
  • Esapekka Lappi heads Hyundai in fourth, Adrien Fourmaux holds fifth, and Oliver Solberg sits sixth just 0.7 seconds off fifth after a volatile day.
  • Solberg’s Thursday stage win gave way to a stall, an off into a snowbank and a puncture on Friday morning that cost significant time before a partial recovery.
  • Hyundai drivers reported grip and confidence issues; Thierry Neuville lost over a minute with a snowbank excursion and a misted windscreen before later taking a stage win.
  • M-Sport Ford endured multiple punctures across its cars, with Martins Sesks retiring for the day due to damage, as the team probes tyre pressures and setup choices.