Welsh driver Evans began the final leg with a 13.3sec advantage and controlled proceedings across the final three snow-covered tests to seal his third Sweden win by 14.3sec over team-mate Takamoto Katsuta. The result also delivered a notable milestone for Toyota, becoming the first manufacturer since Citroën in 2010 to claim back-to-back podium lockouts in the WRC.

Evans extended his margin on the opening stage of the morning and thereafter managed the gap across the remaining kilometres. He also collected strong Wolf Power Stage points, finishing second fastest to Thierry Neuville on the finale by just 0.078sec.

“Obviously pretty chuffed and relieved right now,” he 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 lifts Evans ahead of Oliver Solberg and 13 points clear at the head of the drivers’ championship after two rounds, while Toyota stretches its manufacturers’ advantage to 52 points over Hyundai.

While Katsuta – who had led the rally on Friday – mounted pressure and claimed victory on the penultimate test, he ultimately fell short of converting his pace into a maiden WRC win.

“I am not really happy of course,” he said. “It could have been so much better, especially yesterday,” he admitted. “I just need to keep improving and push more.”

Behind them, Sami Pajari completed the all-Toyota podium, securing his second career top three finish with a composed drive that kept him clear of Oliver Solberg. Solberg, who had led early in the rally before a costly puncture following a Friday off, recovered to fourth overall.

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

It was a challenging weekend for Hyundai Motorsport. Adrien Fourmaux headed the team’s charge in fifth after overtaking returning squad member Esapekka Lappi on SS17.

Their i20 N Rally1 team-mate Thierry Neuville endured a difficult rally but salvaged maximum Wolf Power Stage points with victory on the final test, describing his weekend as “frustrating” after struggling with balance issues.

M-Sport Ford placed two cars inside the top nine, with Jon Armstrong eighth and Josh McErlean ninth, while Mārtiņš Sesks showed stage-winning pace despite setbacks on Friday.

In WRC2, Roope Korhonen secured victory by 11.2sec and completed the overall top 10.

The FIA World Rally Championship heads to Africa next for the legendary Safari Rally Kenya, round three of the season, from 12 – 15 March.

Rally Classification:
1. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2h 35m 53.1s
2. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +14.3s
3. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +46.0s
4. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m 11.6s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 50.3s
6. E Lappi / E Mälkönen FIN Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 53.2s

WRC Standings after round 2 of 14:
1. E Evans 60pts
2. O Solberg 47pts
3. T Katsuta 30pts

The post Triumphant Evans powers Toyota to historic Rally Sweden sweep first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The Welshman turned a 2.8sec overnight deficit into a slender but decisive cushion over team-mate Takamoto Katsuta, with Sami Pajari completing a GR Yaris Rally1 1-2-3 after another assured display from the Finn.

The rally swung immediately on SS9 Vännäs 1. Evans struck hard on the opening test, outpacing overnight leader Katsuta by 7.2sec to pass the Japanese driver and seize a 4.4sec advantage.

The Welshman stretched the gap to 18.0sec by SS13 before Katsuta used the final two tests to trim the margin back to 13.3sec heading into the final leg.

“This morning was pretty good but this afternoon a bit more mixed,” Evans said. “Looking after the tyres was a bit more difficult and not my speciality, but it has still been a clean afternoon.”

Katsuta, chasing what would be his maiden WRC victory, struggled to explain a sudden loss of feeling from the car as the day unfolded.

“I feel like I have no traction and no grip. I don’t know why. It is so strange,” he admitted.

Behind them, Pajari underlined his growing authority at Rally1 level. Fastest times on SS12 and SS14 consolidated third overall, 25.4sec adrift of the lead but comfortably clear of the fight behind.

Early favourite Oliver Solberg continued his recovery from Friday’s time loss to climb from sixth to fourth, 58.4sec down. The Swede found conditions increasingly challenging as the loose snow base broke up.

“It has been a tricky afternoon, difficult to find the rhythm and the confidence,” the championship leader said. “It’s like an ice rink in places.”

It proved another challenging day for Hyundai Motorsport. Esapekka Lappi ended Saturday fifth, 1min 09.5sec from the lead, with Adrien Fourmaux sixth after experimenting with aggressive damper changes in search of pace. Thierry Neuville, seventh, topped the times on the final stage of the day but conceded performance remained elusive.

“That is all we have at the moment, but at least we had a bit of fun,” Neuville reflected.

Saturday delivered a breakthrough for M-Sport Ford. Mārtiņš Sesks impressed on SS10 Sarsjöliden 1 (14.23km), beating Evans by 0.9sec to claim his eighth WRC stage win in a Ford Puma Rally1.

He later managed water-pressure warnings but reached the overnight halt safely. Team-mate Jon Armstrong held eighth overall, while Josh McErlean overcame intermittent light-pod issues at high speed to hold ninth ahead of WRC2 leader Roope Korhonen.

Three stages remain on Sunday: a double pass of Västervik followed by the rally-deciding Wolf Power Stage at Umeå 2.

Standings after Saturday (SS15 /18):
1. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2h 05m 14.6s
2. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +13.3s
3. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +25.4s
4. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +58.4s
5. E Lappi / E Mälkönen FIN Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 09.5s
6. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 17.7s

The post Evans takes charge as Rally Sweden battle intensifies first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The Japanese driver heads a commanding Toyota 1-2-3 after eight stages, with Sami Pajari completing the lockout as the GR Yaris Rally1 proved the benchmark package from first light to the floodlit Umeå Sprint.

Friday’s complexion shifted dramatically before midday. Championship leader Oliver Solberg had started the morning on top but his hopes of a fairytale home win took a hit on SS3 (Andersvattnet 1). Running first on the road, he suffered sudden snap oversteer and slid wide into a snowbank, damaging a tyre and haemorrhaging more than 30sec.

“I went off the road, there was so much snow everywhere,” he said. “I completely underestimated how difficult it would be to be first on the road.”

That opened the door for Evans, who seized control through the remainder of the morning loop. Comfortable on the cleaner line left by Solberg, the Welshman built a 14.5sec cushion by midday as Toyota established a firm grip on proceedings.

But the afternoon told a different story. As the frozen base began to break up and ruts deepened on the second pass, Katsuta mounted a measured charge. He chipped away at Evans’ lead stage by stage before moving in front by just 0.1sec on SS7. A composed run through the final Umeå Sprint ensured he returned to service with a slender but significant advantage.

“It was quite a tricky afternoon but I think we did a good job saving the tyres,” Katsuta said. “The second pass was very rough in places, so I just tried to be clean.”

Behind them, Pajari delivered one of the standout performances of the day. The Finn balanced pace with tyre management to cement third overall, 22.2sec off the lead.

For Hyundai Motorsport, the day proved frustrating. Returning Finn Esapekka Lappi headed the squad in fourth, 45.9sec down on the leaders, although he described the feeling as “drifting” rather than attacking.

Adrien Fourmaux sat fifth, just 0.7sec ahead of the recovering Solberg, while Thierry Neuville was slowed by an off-road moment on SS3 and ended seventh, over 1min 40sec adrift. The Belgian did, however, manage to break Toyota’s stage-winning sweep by going fastest on the penultimate test.

It was an even tougher story at M-Sport Ford. All three Puma Rally1 cars were hit by tyre issues during the morning loop. Mārtiņš Sesks was forced to retire after multiple failures, while Jon Armstrong and Joshua McErlean languished eighth and ninth respectively as WRC2 leader Roope Korhonen rounded out the top 10.

Saturday’s leg is shorter but no less daunting, with a further seven stages totalling more than 100km on the itinerary.

Standings after Friday (SS8 /18):
1. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 1h 10m 33.7s
2. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +2.8s
3. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +22.2s
4. E Lappi / E Mälkönen FIN Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +45.9s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +50.3s
6. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +51.0s

The post Katsuta leads from Evans as Toyota dominates Friday in Sweden first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Driving for Toyota Gazoo Racing, Solberg mastered a treacherous Thursday night in the French Alps to end the opening leg 44.2 seconds clear of his teammate, Elfyn Evans.

A Decisive Move in the Dark

While Evans struck first by winning the wet opening stage at Toudon / Saint-Antonin, the rally shifted dramatically during the second test. Run in total darkness and coated in a lethal mix of slush and sheet ice, the Esclangon / Seyne-les-Alpes stage saw Solberg deliver a career-defining performance. He outpaced the entire field by a staggering 31.1 seconds in a single stage.

“My god, that is the craziest I have done in my life,” Solberg admitted at the stop line. “In the beginning, my driving was really bad, but then on the snow, I thought I’d just go for it.”

Safety Concerns and Red Flags

The final test of the night, Vaumeilh / Claret 1, provided a chaotic conclusion. Dense fog reduced visibility to near zero, forcing officials to red-flag the stage on safety grounds after only seven cars had finished. Notional times were applied to the remaining competitors.

Defending world champion Sébastien Ogier managed to set the fastest time among the early runners before the stoppage, climbing to third overall by the overnight halt. Despite the disruption, Solberg’s rhythm remained unbroken, allowing him to extend his cushion over Evans.

Standout Debuts and Ditch Drama

The night was equally significant for M-Sport Ford’s Jon Armstrong. Making an assured Rally1 debut, Armstrong stunned the established stars with the third-fastest time on SS2. Despite a late-night overshoot and contact with a bank, he ended the leg in an impressive fifth place.

Meanwhile, others fought a battle of attrition:

• Thierry Neuville recovered from a difficult first stage to hold fourth.

• Adrien Fourmaux sits sixth, having briefly slid into a ditch during the heavy fog.

• Takamoto Katsuta and Grégoire Munster (battling power steering issues) occupy seventh and eighth.

• Hayden Paddon and WRC2 leaders Eric Camilli and Léo Rossel rounded out the top ten.

The extreme conditions claimed their first major casualties early on; both Sami Pajari and Josh McErlean retired after sliding off the road during the icy second stage.

Standings after Thursday (SS3 / 17)

The post Solberg braves Alpine chaos to secure dominant early lead first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Ogier started the three-stage final day just one position ahead of Toyota Gazoo Racing team-mate Elfyn Evans and holding a provisional two-point advantage, but a decisive charge on the penultimate Asfan stage – where he climbed from sixth to third overall – put the title firmly in his grasp. A measured run through the Wolf Power Stage then sealed the championship, drawing the 41-year-old level with compatriot Sébastien Loeb’s all-time record.

The triumph also delivered a maiden world title for co-driver Vincent Landais, who joined Ogier in late 2022.

Ogier’s surge on Asfan came as overnight leader Mārtiņš Sesks and Kalle Rovanperä both stopped to change wheels, while Takamoto Katsuta rolled his GR Yaris Rally1. Evans also climbed the order, but the gap between their final positions meant the Welshman was forced to settle for being championship runner-up for a fifth time, falling short by four points in one of the closest finishes in recent memory.

Competing on a part-time basis, Ogier and Landais’ 2025 campaign has been remarkable. Despite missing three rallies, they claimed wins on more than half their starts and finished the year with more stage victories than any other pairing.

“What a season, that’s for sure,” Ogier said. “What a fight with Elfyn and Scott, honestly. There is only a great champion when you have a great opponent, and they’ve been super strong, pushing us to the limit up to the very last stage of the year. Well done to those guys, anyway, and to the whole Toyota Gazoo Racing team. It’s been such a successful season. Proud and very happy to be part of this family.”

Neuville wrapped up the rally victory – his first of the season – by 54.7sec after moving past Sesks on Saturday’s opener. Persistent damper trouble made the closing kilometres tense, but the Belgian kept his i20 N Rally1 clear of the chaos behind him. Adrien Fourmaux completed a Hyundai 1-2, though the Frenchman was left to rue what could have been a maiden WRC win after a one-minute time penalty for an early check-in dropped him out of the lead on Friday evening.

“It has been a super tough season, but to finish with an unexpected victory is obviously a great feeling,” Neuville said. “Next season arrives fast. There’s a lot of work left, so we have a lot of work in front of us over the next weeks to be better prepared for next year. It’s a tough challenge, but we will try to keep fighting. Hopefully we get all the support we need for a better year next year.”

Sami Pajari recovered strongly from his Friday wheel change to finish fourth, 8.2sec ahead of Katsuta’s battered Toyota, as Evans and Rovanperä placed sixth and seventh in their similar GR Yaris Rally1 cars.

M-Sport Ford sensation Sesks remained one of the standout stories of the rally. He and co-driver Renars Francis won five stages and led heading into the final day before their double puncture on Asfan cost almost eight minutes. They retired before the final stage, promoting Puma Rally1 team-mates Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean to eighth and ninth while Oliver Solberg completed the top 10.

The FIA World Rally Championship is set to deliver even more excitement in 2026, beginning at Rallye Monte-Carlo from 22 – 25 January.

*Subject to confirmation of the results by the FIA

Rally Saudi Arabia classification:
1. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N Rally1 3h 21m 17.3s
2. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +54.7s
3. S Ogier / V Landais FRA Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m03.3s
4. S Pajari / M Salminen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m51.7s
5. T Katsuta / A Johnston JPN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m59.9s
6. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +3m43.9s

FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers:
1. S Ogier 293pts
2. E Evans 289pts
3. K Rovanperä 256pts

The post Ogier crowned nine-time WRC champion as Neuville wins Saudi Arabia finale first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The 20-year-old Finn is more than two years younger than fellow countryman Jari-Matti Latvala, now his team principal at Toyota Gazoo Racing, when he claimed the record in 2008.

After fending off a fierce early challenge from Craig Breen, Rovanpera and Halttunen stormed clear on dusty and high-speed tracks near Tartu to win this seventh round of the season by 59.9sec in a Yaris World Rally Car.

Rovanpera, who now lives in Estonia, celebrated on the podium with father Harri, who scored his sole WRC victory in Sweden in 2001. Today’s win was the first for a Finnish driver in the championship since Latvala won Rally Australia in 2018.

Rovanperä has endured a barren run of results of late with just one top six finish in the last four rounds, but his maiden victory promoted him to fourth in the championship standings with five rounds remaining.

Estonia is proving a happy-hunting ground for Breen – he has now finished second at both the rally’s two WRC appearances. His only scare came late on Saturday evening when he clipped a huge roadside rock and damaged his Hyundai i20’s front suspension.

The Irishman headed team-mate Thierry Neuville by 12.5sec. The Belgian’s hopes of reeling in his colleague were damaged by a 10sec penalty after checking in late at a time control on Sunday morning following technical problems.

Championship leader Sébastien Ogier finished fourth in another Yaris. The Frenchman ended 11.6sec behind Neuville, content to bag solid points in his quest for an eighth drivers’ crown after opening the roads where traction was at a premium in Friday’s first leg.

Team-mate Elfyn Evans finished 43.1sec behind in fifth after never truly getting to grips with the conditions. Ogier now leads the Welshman by 37 points in the championship, with their Toyota squad maintaining its 59-point lead in the manufacturers’ standings.

Teemu Suninen was sixth in a Ford Fiesta, despite a final stage spin, while Pierre-Louis Loubet brought his i20 home in seventh.

FIA WRC3 winner Alexey Lukyanuk finished eighth, despite a final stage roll which almost dropped him into the clutches of FIA WRC2 victor, Toksport’s Andreas Mikkelsen in a Škoda Fabia Evo. The pair were separated by only 13.8sec, with Mads Østberg in a TRT-run Citroën C3 completing the leaderboard.

Flying Finn Sami Pajari claimed victory in the FIA Junior WRC Championship category on the series’ third round – his first ever victory in the championship. There was also drama in the final stage, as Martin Koci stopped with a suspected broken driveshaft. Pajari heads Jon Armstrong from the United States in 2nd and Martin Sesks from Latvia.

The championship returns to asphalt next month when Belgium makes its first WRC appearance. Renties Ypres Rally Belgium takes place on 13-15 August.

The post Rovanpera makes history & seals maiden WRC win in Estonia first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The 20-year-old Finn, who now calls Estonia home, distanced Craig Breen through nine super-fast gravel tests near Tartu to extend his advantage from 8.5sec to 50.7sec with just one day remaining of this seventh round.

The pair fought tooth and nail in Friday’s opening leg, but Rovanpera took control today. He made a sensational start in his Toyota Yaris, winning the opening Peipsiääre speed test and beating third-fastest Breen by 14.3sec.

His advantage climbed to 35.7sec by mid-leg service after four stages and Rovanpera enjoyed the luxury of a measured approach during the afternoon’s dusty and heavily rutted repeats.

Breen, for whom second would match his result last year in Estonia, survived a major scare in the short closing stage when he hit a rock on the inside of a right bend. The Irishman was fortunate to limp his Hyundai i20 into service nearby with an oil leak and suspension damage.

He had 30.2sec in hand over team-mate Thierry Neuville who had the better of championship leader Sébastien Ogier. The pair traded times all morning but Belgian Neuville pulled clear this afternoon in his i20 to end with a 17.9sec advantage.

With his eye on increasing his lead in the points, caution was Ogier’s watchword and the Frenchman finished with a 23.4sec margin over Yaris team-mate Elfyn Evans in fifth. The Welshman had no problems but lacked the edge to match the pace of those ahead.

Teemu Suninen retained sixth in his Ford Fiesta, despite spinning into the forest in the opening test, with Pierre-Louis Loubet closing out the top-tier runners in seventh in an i20.

Ott Tänak restarted after retiring yesterday and the Estonian was the master of his home roads in his i20. He rattled off six straight stage wins to show what could have been had he not speared off the road and damaged two tyres.

Alexey Lukyanuk has won every stage in the WRC3 category to claim an impressive eighth overall, with WRC2 leader Andreas Mikkelsen (Toksport WTRT) and Mads Østberg (TRT WRT) completing the top 10 in a Škoda Fabia Evo and Citroën C3 respectively.

Sunday’s finale comprises three stages driven twice, covering 52.10km. The closing Wolf Power Stage at Tartu vald offers bonus points to the fastest drivers and finishes in the service park, ahead of the podium ceremony.

The post Rovanpera on a mission towards maiden WRC win in Estonia first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The 20-year-old restarted this seventh round of the World Rally Championship with an 8.5sec advantage over the Irishman after Friday’s opening leg and stretched that to 35.7sec after four gravel tests near Tartu.

Rovanpera made a sensational start in his Toyota Yaris, winning the opening Peipsiääre speed test and distancing third-fastest Breen by 14.3sec.

Second fastest in Mustvee and Raanitsa widened the margin further before Breen regained a few tenths in the morning’s final Vastsemõisa test, as Rovanperä indicated the time had come for a more measured approach.

Breen was far from disheartened on only his third outing of the season in a Hyundai i20. His efforts were enough to slightly extend his advantage to 46.3sec over i20 team-mate Thierry Neuville in third.

The Belgian remained embroiled in a duel with championship leader Sébastien Ogier. Neuville was desperate to protect his slender overnight advantage and traded times across the morning before returning to mid-leg service in Tartu with a 4.5sec lead.

Ogier was cautious through the new stages north of Tartu but his pace was sufficient to widen the gap to Yaris team-mate Elfyn Evans to 23.2sec. Evans was happier with his car’s balance but admitted he was still missing the edge to match the pace of those ahead.

Teemu Suninen retained sixth in his Ford Fiesta, despite an opening stage spin into the forest, with Pierre-Louis Loubet seventh in an i20.

Alexey Lukyanuk continued to extend his WRC3 advantage in eighth overall with WRC2 leader Andreas Mikkelsen ninth in a Toksport-entered Škoda Fabia Evo.

Mads Østberg (TRT Citroën C3) was delayed after stopping at the scene when Nikolay Gryazin rolled his Movisport Polo GTI, but the Norwegian will regain the time to slot into 10th.

The post Flying Rovanpera on a charge as Breen loses ground first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

The 20-year-old Finn, who now lives in the Baltic country, ended Rally Estonia’s first full day with an 8.5sec advantage over Craig Breen after enthralling action over blisteringly fast gravel roads south of second city Tartu.

Both men are hunting their maiden WRC win and such was the ferocity of their duel that the experienced Thierry Neuville and seven-time world champion Sébastien Ogier were trailing almost a minute adrift.

Rovanpera, who led after Thursday night’s short curtain-raising test, won three of this morning’s stages in his Toyota Yaris. He added three more fastest times this afternoon but could not break free from Breen’s shackles.

Breen led briefly this morning. He won one stage, tied with Rovanpera in another and was second in six tests in his Hyundai i20.

The heat of the battle was matched by air temperatures hovering just below 30°C, but pre-event favourite and Estonian hero Ott Tänak was left feeling cold.

He won the opening Arula test to relegate Rovanpera from top spot but plunged to seventh after a front right puncture in the following Otepää. Worse was to come in the next stage.

“I went wide in a corner and basically I went on the field and during that I knocked off two tyres. I had another two punctures and obviously we had no spares anymore and it was not possible to continue,” explained Tänak, who began the loop with just one spare wheel.

Neuville and Ogier were left to scrap over third. Neuville lost time with a rear left puncture while the championship leader drove superbly to minimise the handicap of opening the soft and sandy roads, where grip was reduced compared to those further back.

They traded positions before Neuville moved ahead in the penultimate stage to finish 6.0sec in front and 53.4sec off the lead.

Elfyn Evans twice overshot junctions. He never recovered the time lost to end 15.7sec adrift of team-mate Ogier and nearly two minutes clear of Teemu Suninen’s Ford Fiesta. A rear left puncture and a suspected water pump issue delayed the Finn.

Pierre-Louis Loubet was seventh in an i20 WRC. FIA WRC3 leader and reigning European champion Alexey Lukyanuk, FIA WRC2 pace-setter Andreas Mikkelsen (Toksport WRT) and Lukyanuk’s class contender Emil Lindholm completed the leaderboard.

Takamoto Katsuta retired his Yaris from third after co-driver Dan Barritt suffered a back injury after a heavy landing over jump. Gus Greensmith exited after stopping several times with a technical issue which affected the power from his Fiesta’s engine.

Saturday brings four challenging new stages for the longest leg of the event, containing 132.18km of action. Identical loops north and south of Tartu are driven morning and afternoon before the day wraps up with an evening re-run of Thursday’s short city test.

In the Junior WRC Championship, Sami Pajari holds a 12.9 second lead to Jon Armstrong overnight, with Martin Koci in third.

The post Rovanpera shines & keeps Breen at bay in Estonia battle first appeared on InsideRacing.com.

Twenty-year-old Rovanpera, who led after Thursday night’s short curtain-raising speed test, won three of the four fast and furious gravel special stages in his Toyota Yaris.

Breen was hot on the Finn’s heels in a Hyundai i20. The Irishman was second on all four stages to lie just 4.8sec adrift as this seventh round of the World Rally Championship paused for breath at mid-leg service in Tartu.

In temperatures approaching 30°C, Breen kept cool after twice being inadvertently delayed by a struggling Gus Greensmith. The time lost was later removed by rally officials and Breen briefly sneaked into a one second lead before Rovanperä hit back in the final two tests.

Home hero Tanak won Friday’s opening Arula test to relegate Rovanpera from top spot but plunged to seventh after a front right puncture in the following Otepää. Worse was to follow in the next Kanepi stage.

“I went wide in a corner and basically I went on the field and during that I knocked off two tyres. I had another two punctures and obviously we had no spares anymore and it was not possible to continue,” explained Tänak, who began the loop with just one spare wheel.

Championship leader Sébastien Ogier was best of the rest. The Frenchman was 33.5sec adrift in third in his Yaris, but content after minimising the handicap of opening the soft and sandy roads, with grip for the early starters reduced compared to those further back.

Ogier had 6.8sec in hand over Thierry Neuville’s i20 in fourth. The Belgian fell back from third with a rear left puncture in Kanepi, but still had 6.6sec in hand over Elfyn Evans, who twice overshot junctions in Otepää in his Yaris.

Pierre-Louis Loubet was the final top-flight driver in sixth. The Corsican was cautious after a torrid opening half of the season in his i20, but capitalised on the problems of others.

Takamoto Katsuta retired his Yaris from third after co-driver Dan Barritt suffered a back injury after a heavy landing over a Kanepi jump. Greensmith exited after stopping several times with a technical issue which affected the power from his Ford Fiesta’s engine.

Team-mate Teemu Suninen was sixth but a rear left puncture and a turbo boost problem demoted the Finn to 14th.

FIA WRC3 leader and reigning European champion Alexey Lukyanuk held seventh in a Škoda Fabia, 11.1sec ahead of FIA WRC2 pace-setter Mads Østberg, who was hampered by a damaged suspension arm after a jump. Andreas Mikkelsen and Emil Lindholm completed the leaderboard.

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