Esapekka Lappi and Jonne Ferm are currently leading Rally Sweden after the first full day of rallying in the snowy conditions. The Hyundai Shell Mobis i20 N team performed exceptionally well, winning four out of the seven stages on Friday. This marked the return of reigning champions Kalle Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen for the first time this season.
Throughout the day, the persistent snowfall created challenging visibility and constantly changing road conditions, making it a major topic of discussion among all the drivers.
Rovanperä secured the first stage win on Friday morning, showcasing the Toyota Gazoo racing Yaris team’s comfort on the stages. The order in which the teams ran was crucial, and Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe had a particularly tough time, never surpassing fifth place overall. Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin faced similar difficulties, while Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja had a slight advantage running third with their Hyundai.
However, stage four brought a significant turn of events. Both Rovanperä and Tänak encountered unexpected encounters with the unforgiving snowbanks, forcing them to retire from the day’s action. Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston took advantage of the situation, not only winning the stage in their GR Yaris but also claiming the rally lead with an 11.4-second advantage over Lappi.
After the midday service, the rally returned to the snowy forests. Stage five proved to be unusual, with the top five times all set by WRC2 drivers. Georg Linnamäe and James Morgan, Oliver Solberg and Elliot Edmonson, Mikko Heikkalä and Kristian Temonen, Lauri Joona and Janni Hussi, and Fabrizio Zaldivar and Marcelo der Ohannesian all outperformed Lappi in his Rally1 Hyundai.
Nevertheless, Lappi managed to reduce Katsuta’s lead to 5.4 seconds, and by the following stage, the gap had narrowed to just three tenths of a second.
Stage six brought another twist. Neuville’s car failed to start, resulting in Evans unexpectedly taking the lead. This situation angered the Welshman, who believed that Hyundai deliberately manipulated the running order to gain an advantage. Neuville’s late arrival at the time control led to a 40-second penalty, dropping him to 11th place overall.
Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria had a fantastic performance in their M-Sport Ford Puma, holding third place overall after stage six. However, with Solberg excelling in the worsening conditions, Fourmaux faced increasing pressure.
Lappi beat Katsuta by 2.1 seconds in stage seven, securing the lead by 1.8 seconds. With one short stage remaining, Lappi emerged victorious, finishing the day 3.2 seconds ahead of the Japanese crew. Solberg claimed the third position overall.
Despite limited experience in arctic racing, Fourmaux did an impressive job, bringing his Puma home in fourth place, 23.7 seconds ahead of a frustrated Evans. The top ten was dominated by Finnish drivers, with Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen leading the way, followed by Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka, Heikkilä, and Joona.
Saturday promised an intense battle between Lappi and Katsuta, with Fourmaux, the closest Rally 1 rival, trailing behind by almost a minute and a half.
According to the Source motorsportweek.com