Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin secured victory at Rally Sweden on Sunday, leading home a remarkable Toyota 1-2-3-4 and moving to the top of the World Rally Championship (WRC) standings.
Welsh driver Evans began the final leg with a 13.3sec advantage and controlled proceedings across the final three snow-covered tests to seal his third Sweden win by 14.3sec over team-mate Takamoto Katsuta. The result also delivered a notable milestone for Toyota, becoming the first manufacturer since Citroën in 2010 to claim back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC.
Evans extended his margin on the opening stage of the morning and thereafter managed the gap across the remaining kilometres. He also collected strong Wolf Power Stage points, finishing second fastest to Thierry Neuville on the finale by just 0.078sec.
“Obviously pretty chuffed and relieved right now,” he said. “We were not sure how the Power Stage was going to look. Thanks to the team, they’ve done an incredible job again, and a Toyota 1-2-3-4 feels amazing. It’s always an amazing atmosphere in Sweden and it’s a special rally for many reasons.” (Article continues after photo.)
Evans takes WRC championship leader after Rally Sweden
The result lifts Evans ahead of Oliver Solberg and 13 points clear at the head of the drivers’ championship after two rounds, while Toyota stretches its manufacturers’ advantage to 51 points over Hyundai.
While Katsuta – who had led the rally on Friday – mounted pressure and claimed victory on the penultimate test, he ultimately fell short of converting his pace into a maiden WRC win.
“I am not really happy of course,” he said. “It could have been so much better, especially yesterday,” he admitted. “I just need to keep improving and push more.”
Behind them, Sami Pajari completed the all-Toyota podium, securing his second career top three finish with a composed drive that kept him clear of Oliver Solberg. Solberg, who had led early in the rally before a costly puncture following a Friday off, recovered to fourth overall.
“I underestimated how difficult it would be on Friday,” he reflected. “Of course, the result is a bit disappointing, but after the position I put myself in I don’t deserve any more than P4.”
Hyundai’s couldn’t match the speed of the Toyota’s, Neuville salvages Power Stage win
It was a challenging weekend for Hyundai Motorsport. Adrien Fourmaux headed the team’s charge in fifth after overtaking returning squad member Esapekka Lappi on SS17.
Their i20 N Rally1 team-mate Thierry Neuville endured a difficult rally but salvaged maximum Wolf Power Stage points with victory on the final test, describing his weekend as “frustrating” after struggling with balance issues. (Article continues after photo.)
M-Sport Ford placed two cars inside the top nine, with Jon Armstrong eighth and Josh McErlean ninth, while Mārtiņš Sesks showed stage-winning pace despite setbacks on Friday.
Korhonen leads all-Finnish WRC2 podium
In WRC2, Roope Korhonen (Toyota) secured victory by 10.2sec and completed the overall top 10. Teemu Suninen (Toyota) and Lauri Joona (Skoda) completed an all-Finnish WRC2 podium in Sweden.
Matteo Fontana took the victory in WRC3 in dominant fashion, beating Tymek Abramowski by just under three minutes.
In JWRC, Calle Carlberg won the opening round of the championship on home soil. The reigning JERC championship won ahead of Finnish driver Leevi Lassila and Spaniard Raúl Hernández.
The FIA World Rally Championship heads to Africa next for the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, round three of the season, from 12 – 15 March.
Keep up-to-date with the latest news, videos and photos from the WRC via our social media channels:
– Facebook
– X / Twitter
– Instagram
WRC Rally Sweden 2026 – Final results
| # | Drivers | Car | Time / Diff to 1st |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Evans / Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 2:35:53.1 |
| 2. | Katsuta / Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +14.3 |
| 3. | Pajari / Salminen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +46.0 |
| 4. | Solberg / Edmondson | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | +1:11.6 |
| 5. | Fourmaux / Coria | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +1:50.3 |
| 6. | Lappi / Mälkönen | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +1:53.2 |
| 7. | Neuville / Wydaeghe | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | +3:45.9 |
| 8. | Armstrong / Byrne | Ford Puma Rally1 | +4:05.5 |
| 9. | McErlean / Treacy | Ford Puma Rally1 | +6:05.4 |
| 10. | Korhonen / Viinikka | Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 | +10:36.2 |
WRC 2026 Drivers’ Championship – Standings after Round 2/14 [Top 10]
| # | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Elfyn Evans | 60 |
| 2. | Oliver Solberg | 47 (-13) |
| 3. | Takamoto Katsuta | 30 (-30) |
| 4. | Adrien Fourmaux | 28 (-32) |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | 21 (-39) |
| 6. | Sébastien Ogier | 18 (-42) |
| 7. | Sami Pajari | 17 (-43) |
| 8. | Esapekka Lappi | 9 (-51) |
| 9. | Léo Rossel | 8 (-52) |
| 10. | Yohan Rossel | 6 (-54) |
WRC 2026 Manufacturers’ Championship – Standings after Round 2/14
| # | Manufacturer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT | 117 |
| 2. | Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT | 66 (-51) |
| 3. | Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT 2 | 18 (-99) |
| 4. | M-Sport Ford WRT | 14 (-103) |
Photos, content: Red Bull Content Pool
