Katsuta Takamoto Leads Toyota 1-2-3 as Rally Sweden Drama Unfolds in Umea

Umea, Sweden, February 13, 2026: Takamoto Katsuta edged ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Elfyn Evans to seize the lead of Rally Sweden on Friday night, capping a dramatic day of fluctuating fortunes on the high-speed, snow-lined roads around Umeå.

Katsuta holds a slender 2.8-second advantage after eight stages, spearheading a dominant Toyota 1-2-3. Rising Finnish talent Sami Pajari completed the lockout, as the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 emerged as the benchmark package from the morning’s opening kilometres to the floodlit Umeå Sprint finale.

Solberg’s Home Charge Derailed

The complexion of Friday’s action shifted before midday. Championship leader Oliver Solberg had started strongly but saw his hopes of a fairytale home victory dented on SS3 (Andersvattnet 1). Running first on the road, Solberg encountered sudden snap oversteer, slid wide into a snowbank and damaged a tyre, conceding more than 30 seconds.

The setback handed momentum to Evans, who capitalised on cleaner lines left behind and built a commanding 14.5-second lead by midday service, reinforcing Toyota’s early grip on proceedings.

Katsuta’s Calculated Comeback

However, the afternoon loop proved far more punishing. As the frozen gravel base began to deteriorate and deep ruts formed on the second pass, Katsuta mounted a disciplined charge. Carefully managing his tyres on the abrasive surface, the Japanese driver chipped away at Evans’ advantage stage by stage.

He moved ahead by a mere 0.1sec on SS7 before delivering a composed run through the Umeå Sprint to end the day in front.

Behind the leading duo, Pajari impressed with a mature performance, balancing pace and tyre conservation to secure third overall, 22.2sec adrift of Katsuta but comfortably clear of the chasing pack.

Hyundai Struggles, M-Sport Hit by Tyre Woes

For Hyundai Motorsport, Friday brought mixed fortunes. Esapekka Lappi led the team’s charge in fourth, 45.9sec off the lead, while Adrien Fourmaux slotted into fifth. Thierry Neuville endured an off-road moment on SS3, dropping over 1min 40sec overall, though he did break Toyota’s clean sweep of stage wins by topping the penultimate test.

It was a more difficult outing for M-Sport Ford. All three Puma Rally1 entries suffered tyre-related issues during the morning loop. Mārtiņš Sesks retired after multiple failures, while Jon Armstrong and Joshua McErlean languished outside the top positions as WRC2 leader Roope Korhonen completed the top 10.

Rally Sweden Standings After Friday (SS8/18)

1. T. Katsuta / A. Johnston – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 – 1h 10m 33.7s
2. E. Evans / S. Martin – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2.8s
3. S. Pajari / M. Salminen – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +22.2s
4. E. Lappi / E. Mälkönen – Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +45.9s
5. A. Fourmaux / A. Coria – Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +50.3s
6. O. Solberg / E. Edmondson – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +51.0s

Saturday’s leg may be shorter, but with seven more stages covering over 100 competitive kilometres, the battle for Rally Sweden victory remains finely poised on the unforgiving Scandinavian snow.