Elfyn Evans appeared as a slim lead in strict battles if it was only 9.1 seconds in a thrilling thrilling game in Sweden on Friday.
The only pure eye rally of FIA World Rally Championship has provided wealth all day long with several lead changes over seven eyes and ice speed tests. Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver EVANS set up the initial face and led it in noon service, but as the conditions evolved, the leader board was the same.
Takamoto Katsuta hit the front of the SS5 for a while to immediately recover the top position. Then, as the darkness fell on the Bäck stage, OTT Tänak went ahead. When wearing tires took precious times, I lost this in the final umeå Sprint test. Evans captured the opportunity and went back to the lead once more.
Katsuta’s powerful speed maintained him in 0.6 seconds of Toyota teammates, and Tänak took third place to third place.
ADRIEN FOURMAUX was one of the most prominent performers in the morning and won the second stage and was the second highest. His momentum was slightly slowed in the afternoon, but the French still ranked fourth in 5.4 seconds than the Hyundai I20 N rally1 colleague Tänak. In the same tricky corners of Kalle Rovanperä and Josh Mcerlean, the stable of the SS5 was his greatest frustration.
Defensive champion Thierry Neuville endured a disappointing start by struggling with Under Steer, but later found his rhythm. The stage victory helped him back for a while, and he finished his leg 9.1Sec to fifth in Evans.
The second world champion Rovanperä had a characteristic day. FINN, which has not helped with the SS5’s overshut, did not rank third in any stage and closed NEUVILLE to 16.4Sec.
Mārtiņ Sesks was impressed by the return to Puma Rally1 of M-Sport Ford, and posted three stages on the seventh place. Teammate MCERLEAN continued to increase confidence only at his second Rally1.
Toyota’s Sami Pajari showed a strong flash, but was interrupted by an initial brush with a snowbank that removes tires and limits him to 9th place. Grégoire Munster ranked 10th in his Puma.
Solberg Supreme’s flash in WRC2
Home hero Oliver Solberg started from Umeå 12 months ago, leading WRC2 and leading another command performance.
Last month, Solburg’s season in Rolil Montte-Carlo began informally, but the event scored the first point of the year and made a 23-year-old boy calculates the style.
Last year, Solberg, who dominated this field in the škoda Fabia RS Rally2, showed the same precision behind the wheel of Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and won five wins on weekends. But his dominance was slightly reduced in the afternoon loop.
Because of this, Yaris drivers, Georg Linnamäe and Roope Korhonen, opened a door to claim the stage victory, but Solberg still maintained 23.8 seconds over Korhonen at the end of the day.
Friday was especially memorable for former WRC3 champions Korhonen, and in the second game of Bäck 2, he won his virgin WRC2 stage. The young pin was second in the second place 22.1 second ahead of Linnamäe. WRC2 podium.
Estonia’s remaining afternoon was the biggest mover. He prosecuted the Finnish Trio Trio Trio Mico Heiki Kill ä, Lori Yona, and Tuukka Kauppinen, who started the loop in sixth, and took the third place in sebum in 6.6 seconds.
Another Estonia’s interest was to rule the FIA Jr. WRC champion Romet Jürgenson. His Ford Fiesta Rally 2, 12th to 7th, he now has a 6.5sec buffer for Isak Reierson, who discovers himself in a close battle with Swede Pontus with Swede Pontus. Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zaldivar finishes the top 10 overnight, while only 3.2 seconds separates the compatriots.
The second leg of Saturday provides many opportunities for more twisting and includes seven high -speed stages that deal with 101.96 km.
Johansson sets the benchmark on the Junior WRC
Mille Johansson dominated the opening leg of Friday and bombed the 2025 FIA Jr. WRC season with a 48.3 second lead.
Chasing a consecutive victory in the 19 -year -old home soil was virtually inadequate in the speed test of ice on the first day. Johansson set up the benchmark in four of the four stages of seven stages, adding his authority to the M-Sport Poland Ford FIESTA Rally3 field, adding the fastest time in Super Special on Thursday night Umeå.
Johan Grönvall, co -produced by Johan Grönvall, made the FIA Jr. WRC debut one -time at Rally Sweden last season. But this time I started the 5th round campaign. 2024 FIA Junior’s Award wins the title of ERC.
Their misfortune of the FIA Rally Star opened the door of ALI Türkkan of Türkiye, who was out of 6 pm to third place. TAYLOR GILL and co -driver Daniel BRKíc quickly emerged as the closest challenger of Johansson and won the opening of Friday by winning the BYGDSILJUM test. However, Johansson quickly recovered and clearly pulled over one day.
The French rookie Tristan Charpentier and Paraguay’s Diego Domínguez ranked third and fourth in noon, but left the road from SS5. Charpentier lost almost 12 minutes in his accident and Domínguez retired from radiator damage.
