Elfyn Evans clinched victory at Rally Sweden, edging out Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta in a thrilling final-day duel to claim top spot in the World Rally Championship standings. The Welshman held his nerve in freezing conditions, delivering a stunning comeback to secure his first win of the season.
Evans, who led for most of the rally after winning the earlier opening stage, started Sunday with a narrow three-second cushion. But Katsuta, alongside Irish co-driver Aaron Johnston, turned the tables on stage 16, seizing a 4.5-second lead. Evans responded in style, reclaiming the advantage on the penultimate stage before sealing victory by just 3.7 seconds.
“I made life difficult on that first stage this morning,” Evans admitted. “It focused the mind, got a good run on those last stages, and it’s been a good fight.” The 36-year-old, who finished second in January’s Monte Carlo Rally, collected a maximum 35 points to overtake Sebastien Ogier at the top of the standings.
Northern Ireland’s Josh McErlean also impressed, finishing ninth despite losing 49 minutes after getting stuck in a snowbank. “Today was a bit frustrating, but we have to be happy,” said the 25-year-old, who matched his more experienced M-Sport Ford teammates for much of the rally.
With two rounds complete, Evans leads Ogier by 28 points as the WRC shifts from Sweden’s icy roads to the heat and dust of Safari Rally Kenya from 20-23 March. “Very good start,” said Evans. “Very early days, but I don’t think you could wish for much better than this.”
