An impeccable performance by Elfyn Evans during Sweden’s long winter nights delivered an unquestionable victory for the British driver, who now leads the 2026 WRC standings after the second round of the season. In the absence of Sébastien Ogier, the battle remained within Toyota ranks, this time between Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, in a clear demonstration of Toyota’s superiority as the manufacturer locked out the top four positions. Katsuta briefly led the rally, but from the midpoint onwards Evans controlled proceedings, ultimately finishing 14.3 seconds ahead of his team-mate. Two more Toyotas followed, with youngsters Sami Pajari in third and Oliver Solberg in fourth, the latter fresh from victory in Monte Carlo.
Hyundai fell noticeably short of expectations, with Adrien Fourmaux securing fifth place, just 2.9 seconds ahead of team-mate Esapekka Lappi, while Thierry Neuville ended the event seventh overall, 3m45.9s behind the winner. At M-Sport Ford, Jon Armstrong enjoyed a positive debut, outperforming fellow Ford Puma driver Josh McErlean by two minutes. In WRC2, Toyota also set the benchmark, with Roope Korhonen taking victory, 10.2 seconds clear of Teemu Suninen.
Evans, who avoided punctures aboard his Toyota Yaris, claimed his second consecutive win in Sweden and his third at the event. He was also fastest on the Super Sunday classification and finished second on the Power Stage, edged out by just one tenth of a second by Neuville. The Belgian’s late-stage flourish offered minimal consolation for Hyundai in a rally marked by widespread complaints regarding tyre performance and car balance. Evans’ consistency and race management proved decisive, although Katsuta delivered a clean and competitive run throughout.
Following Sweden, Evans leads the 2026 WRC with 60 points, ahead of Solberg on 47 and Katsuta on 30. Toyota, unsurprisingly, heads the manufacturers’ championship with 117 points, while Hyundai has accumulated 66. The next round is the Safari Rally Kenya, scheduled for 12–15 March.