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- Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris) – 1h 10m 33.7s
- Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris) – +2.8s
- Sami Pajari (Toyota GR Yaris) – +22.2s
- Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai i20 N) – +45.9s
- Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai i20 N) – +50.3s
- Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris) – 1h 15m 15.6s
- Teemu Suninen (Toyota GR Yaris) – +10.2s
- Lauri Joona (Škoda Fabia RS) – +25.4s
- Isak Reiersen (Škoda Fabia RS) – +1m
- Mille Johansson (Ford Fiesta Mk II) – +2m 33.6s
- Report: Neil McDaid
- Images: TGR Media
— If anyone ever doubted the unforgiving nature of the Swedish snow, today’s second leg of Rally Sweden provided a cold, hard reminder. In a day defined by fluctuating fortunes and the "sweeping" disadvantage of being first on the road, Takamoto Katsuta emerged from the forest shadows to snatch a 2.8-second lead over his Toyota GAZOO Racing teammate Elfyn Evans.
The Morning of Misery: Solberg’s Slide
The day began with home hero Oliver Solberg in the ascendancy, but his fairytale home win took a brutal hit on SS3 Andersvattnet 1. Running first on the road, Solberg suffered sudden snap oversteer, sliding deep into a snowbank and damaging a tire. The mistake cost him over 30 seconds and dropped him to sixth overall. A frustrated Solberg admitted, "I completely underestimated how difficult it would be to be first on the road".
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As Solberg faltered, Elfyn Evans seized control, building a 14.5-second cushion by the midday service. However, the afternoon loop saw a relentless charge from Takamoto Katsuta. Capitalizing on improving stage conditions, Katsuta chipped away at Evans’ lead before finally leapfrogging him on the final stage of the day. "Taka" now leads a commanding Toyota 1-2-3, with rising star Sami Pajari holding a solid third.
Chaos in the Banks
The "snow-dust" wasn't just a problem for Toyota. Hyundai's Thierry Neuville endured a "brutal" day, losing over a minute after a snowbank excursion on SS3 that left him with a badly misted windscreen. Meanwhile, M-Sport Ford faced a nightmare loop with all three Puma Rally1 cars suffering tire issues.
Rally Sweden Standings (End of Friday, Feb 13)
Top 5 Rally1 Finishers (Overall)
Top 5 Rally2 Finishers (WRC2)
