Elfyn Evans Dominates Rally Sweden 2025 from Start to Finish

The thrilling second round of the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) in Sweden concluded on February 16, with Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin securing a spectacular victory. Evans led the rally from the opening day and, despite intense competition and constant position changes throughout the stages, he consistently ended each day at the top. His triumph was further solidified with a decisive win in the Wolf Power Stage, securing maximum points under the newly introduced scoring system and exceeding expectations.

Trailing just 3.8 seconds behind Evans, the impressive duo of Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston put on a strong performance, claiming second place overall. The reigning 2024 champions, Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe, completed the podium in third, finishing 11.9 seconds behind the winners. Their Hyundai teammates, Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja, closely followed in fourth, just 4.9 seconds adrift of Neuville.

The intense nature of the rally kept fans on edge, with the top four crews separated by a mere 10 seconds heading into the final day. One minor error could have proved costly, as seen in the case of Adrien Fourmaux and Alexandre Coria. The French pair showcased remarkable pace until stage 13 when they crashed their Hyundai i20 N Rally1 into an ice bank, taking them out of podium contention. Despite the setback, they returned on Sunday to salvage points in the Super Sunday stage.

Local favorite Mārtinš Sesks delivered an admirable performance, securing sixth place overall with a total time loss of 02:35:48.6. Meanwhile, WRC newcomer Sami Pajari finished in seventh after an unfortunate incident in which he lost confidence following a snow bank collision that resulted in a dislodged tire, costing him valuable time in the initial stages.

In the WRC2 category, Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson emerged victorious, delivering a commanding performance in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. They finished 42.5 seconds ahead of Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka, marking a dominant win for Solberg on home soil.

Rally Sweden 2025 will be remembered as one of the most exciting editions of the winter classic, with fierce competition, dramatic turns of events, and a sensational victory by Evans. With this result, Evans positions himself strongly in the championship standings, setting the stage for an exhilarating season ahead.

The championship now moves to the rugged terrain of Kenya for the highly anticipated WRC Safari Rally, Round 3, scheduled for March 20-23, 2025.