P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Ice, sunshine and flat-out driving was the order of the day on Rally Sweden on Saturday. It was another day of Toyota domination on the second round of the WRC. Having lost their lead on Friday to teammate Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin were in no mood to hang around and on the […]
Ice, sunshine, and flat-out driving defined Rally Sweden on Saturday as Toyota continued their dominating performance in the second round of the WRC.
Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin reclaimed the lead with a lightning-fast performance on the first stage, extending their advantage to 13.3 seconds by the end of the day after seven stages.
Teammate Takamoto Katsuta struggled with grip issues, allowing young gun Sami Pajari to challenge for third place, pushing Oliver Solberg into a fierce battle for position.
Solberg’s impressive performance on stage nine secured a Toyota sweep of the top four spots, leaving Hyundai’s drivers, led by Esapekka Lappi, in a distant fifth and sixth.
Jon Armstrong’s strong run for M-Sport Ford, including midday adjustments, showcased his confidence, while Joshua McErlean’s timely performance provided a much-needed boost, with both finishing in the top ten.
Despite Martins Sesks’ stage win for M-Sport Ford, he remained far down the leaderboard, while Roope Korhonen maintained his lead in WRC2 ahead of Teemu Suninen and Lauri Joona.
With Sunday’s schedule featuring only three stages and 61km of racing, the concluding day promises intense competition and potential upsets.
