Esapekka Lappi Achieves Victory at Rally Sweden, his First since 2017

Esapekka Lappi finally ended his victory drought by winning the Rally Sweden, marking his first victory in the World Rally Championship since 2017. Alongside his co-driver Janne Ferm, Lappi demonstrated flawless driving through the 18 snow-filled stages, securing his second career win with a 29.6-second lead over Elfyn Evans from Toyota.

On the other hand, Adrien Fourmaux from M-Sport achieved his first podium in the WRC, finishing 47.9 seconds behind Lappi. Thierry Neuville from Hyundai and Oliver Solberg completed the top five, with Solberg winning the WRC2 class on home soil.

The Rally Sweden was marked by variable weather conditions, with heavy snowfalls playing a crucial role in changing the ranking on Friday. Reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera started strong but his challenge ended abruptly when he crashed into a snowbank during the fourth stage. Ott Tanak from Hyundai also met a similar fate, damaging his vehicle's radiator and withdrawing from the competition.
Rovanpera and Tanak's withdrawal left Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta in a tight battle with Lappi for the lead, with the latter taking the lead in the seventh stage. The fight continued until Katsuta had an encounter with a snowbank, thus losing his chance of victory.

Going into the final day, Lappi decided to moderate his speed to preserve his lead and his tires, securing his first win since the Rally Finland in 2017. Fourmaux maintained his second position despite a scare in stage 15, while Evans climbed from fifth to third place.

Evans, who started second, was disadvantaged when Neuville arrived late to the sixth stage, resulting in a 40-second penalty for Neuville. Despite the challenges, Evans managed to overcome Fourmaux on Sunday, securing additional points in the Super Sunday classification.

Neuville, although finishing fourth, scored additional points in an exciting final stage that saw his vehicle lose its tailgate after a jump. With this, Neuville is three points ahead of Evans in the championship standings. Rovanpera, Tanak, and Katsuta, despite their setbacks, managed to score points over the weekend, with Rovanpera winning the final stage and securing second place in the Sunday standings.