Elfyn Evans Wins Rally Sweden 2026, Secures Toyota 1-2-3-4 and WRC Championship Lead

Umea, Sweden, February 15, 2026: Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin stormed to victory at Rally Sweden on Sunday, delivering a historic 1-2-3-4 finish for Toyota Gazoo Racing and moving to the top of the FIA World Rally Championship standings after two rounds.

Evans Controls Final Leg to Seal Third Sweden Triumph

The Welshman began the final leg with a 13.3-second advantage and expertly managed the gap across the final three snow-covered stages. Evans ultimately secured his third Rally Sweden victory by 14.3 seconds over team-mate Takamoto Katsuta.

Evans extended his margin on Sunday morning’s opening stage before adopting a measured approach to bring home maximum points. He also delivered a strong performance in the Wolf Power Stage, finishing just 0.078 seconds behind stage winner Thierry Neuville.

“Obviously pretty chuffed and relieved right now,” Evans 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.”

The result marks a significant milestone for Toyota, becoming the first manufacturer since Citroën in 2010 to achieve back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC.

Toyota Dominance as Championship Battle Intensifies

Behind Evans and Katsuta, Sami Pajari completed the all-Toyota podium with a composed drive, securing his second career WRC top-three finish. Oliver Solberg, who had led early in the rally before suffering a costly puncture on Friday, recovered to finish fourth overall.

“I underestimated how difficult it would be on Friday,” Solberg admitted. “Of course, the result is a bit disappointing, but after the position I put myself in I don’t deserve any more than P4.”

With the victory, Evans now leads the drivers’ championship on 60 points, 13 clear of Solberg (47), while Katsuta moves into third on 30 points. Toyota extends its manufacturers’ championship lead to 52 points over Hyundai Motorsport.

Hyundai and M-Sport Battle for Points

Hyundai endured a challenging weekend. Adrien Fourmaux led the team’s charge in fifth after overtaking returning squad member Esapekka Lappi on SS17.

Neuville, despite struggling with balance issues throughout the event, salvaged his weekend by claiming maximum Wolf Power Stage points.

M-Sport Ford placed two cars inside the top nine, with Jon Armstrong finishing eighth and Josh McErlean ninth. Mārtiņš Sesks showed impressive stage-winning pace despite setbacks earlier in the rally.

In WRC2, Roope Korhonen claimed victory by 11.2 seconds, rounding out the overall top 10.

Rally Sweden 2026 – Top 6 Classification

1. Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 2h 35m 53.1s
2. Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +14.3s
3. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +46.0s
4. Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1m 11.6s
5. Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1m 50.3s
6. Esapekka Lappi / Enni Mälkönen (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1m 53.2s

WRC 2026 Standings After Round 2

1. Elfyn Evans – 60 points
2. Oliver Solberg – 47 points
3. Takamoto Katsuta – 30 points

The FIA World Rally Championship now heads to Africa for the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, scheduled from 12–15 March, where the championship battle is set to intensify on the demanding gravel stages.