Neuville initially led, winning three of the first four stages and accumulating a lead of 10.1 seconds. However, an incident in the sixth stage where he damaged a tire reduced his lead, allowing Evans to close within 0.1 seconds. In an effort to reclaim his position, Neuville matched Evans's time in the final stage of the day.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Ogier closed in on the leaders, trailing Neuville and Evans by 6.6 seconds, thanks to his strong performance in the last stage. Ott Tänak and Adrien Fourmaux also improved their times, finishing in fourth and fifth places, respectively.
The weather was a significant factor, with an unexpected snowfall at the start of the fifth stage complicating driving conditions. Neuville, facing the stage first, quickly adapted and claimed victory in that stage.
In the sixth stage, which was particularly dramatic, Neuville suffered the loss of his right front tire after hitting a stone, costing him valuable time. Evans took advantage of the situation to win the stage, while Ogier maintained competitive performance despite the adverse conditions.
The rally continues on Saturday with more stages that promise to be decisive for the drivers' aspirations.
| Position | Driver | Co-driver | Team/Car | Total Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Neuville | Martijn Wydaeghe | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | 1:05:15.3 |
| 1 | Elfyn Evans | Scott Martin | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | 1:05:15.3 |
| 3 | Sébastien Ogier | Vincent Landais | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | 1:05:21.9 |
| 4 | Ott Tänak | Martin Järveoja | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | 1:05:56.4 |
| 5 | Adrien Fourmaux | Alexandre Coria | Puma Rally1 HYBRID | 1:06:08.0 |
| 6 | Takamoto Katsuta | Aaron Johnston | GR Yaris Rally1 HYBRID | 1:06:53.1 |
| 7 | Andreas Mikkelsen | Torstein Eriksen | i20 N Rally1 HYBRID | 1:07:53.1 |
| 8 | Grégoire Munster | Louis Louka | Puma Rally1 HYBRID | 1:08:22.6 |
| 9 | Nikolay Gryazin | Konstantin Alexandrov | C3 | 1:09:03.6 |
| 10 | Yohan Rossel | Arnaud Dunand | C3 | 1:09:34.7 |
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