Thrilling Start to Rally Sweden as Katsuta Leads Toyota Dominance

Takamoto Katsuta led a Toyota sweep during the first full day of Rally Sweden, with Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari following close behind. Championship leader Oliver Solberg had a misstep, losing precious seconds after sliding into a snowbank. More challenges await in Saturday’s upcoming stages.

Takamoto Katsuta spearheaded a Toyota one-two-three at Rally Sweden, following a thrilling first full day on Friday. Katsuta maintains the advantage after eight snowy stages, edging out teammate Elfyn Evans by a slim 2.8-second margin around Umea roads, with Finland's Sami Pajari trailing by 22.2 seconds.

This rally marks the second event in the world championship, led by Sweden's Oliver Solberg who triumphed in last month's Monte Carlo opener. Solberg faced a setback after sliding off into a snowbank on stage three, costing him valuable time as he lost over 30 seconds.

Driving challenges continued for competitors as Evans overtook initially, only for Katsuta to strike back. He chipped away at Evans' 14.5-second lead to surpass him during the day's final stages. Hyundai's Esapekka Lappi and teammate Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the fourth and fifth slots, with Solberg in sixth. Saturday promises more intense competition with seven additional stages.

(With inputs from agencies.)