Elfyn Evans will enter Rally Sweden’s final day with victory hanging in the balance - his lead over Toyota GAZOO Racing team-mate Takamoto Katsuta cut to just 3.0sec with Thierry Neuville also looming large in third.

Evans, runner-up at the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo, started today's penultimate leg with a narrow 0.6sec advantage over Katsuta’s identical GR Yaris Rally1. The pair were almost inseparable through the morning’s high-speed ice-laden stages near Umeå, but a commanding start to the afternoon loop saw the Welshman extend his lead to 8.6sec - helped in part by a mistake from Katsuta, who overshot a junction on SS12.

Just when it seemed Evans had seized control, the momentum shifted again. Katsuta fought back on SS14, cutting the gap to 6.0sec before Evans stalled his car in the day’s closing stage - reducing his lead even further to just 3.0sec.

Katsuta, a five-time podium finisher, is still chasing his maiden WRC victory but remained measured in his approach. Neuville, who started the day in fifth, made huge strides to haul himself into the lead fight. The reigning world champion overtook Hyundai team-mate Ott Tänak, who was hampered by a coolant leak, and ended the day 6.5sec clear of the Estonian while just 6.3sec behind Evans.

Adrien Fourmaux’s podium challenge came undone after a series of misfortunes. The Frenchman, who had been firmly in the mix on Friday, lost time after stopping immediately after the start of SS10 to fasten his helmet strap. He rebounded from the oversight with a stage win on SS11, only to slide off on SS12 and bury his Hyundai in a snowbank - ending his day prematurely.

Kalle Rovanperä capitalised on the chaos, climbing to fifth in his Toyota and enjoying a much stronger leg after a subdued Friday. The two-time world champion closed to within 10.1sec of Tänak heading into Sunday’s three-stage showdown, with Mārtiņš Sesks sixth in his M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1.

Sesks survived a late scare when he spun in the fading light of SS13 but managed to keep Toyota young gun Sami Pajari 12.2sec behind. Further back, Ford drivers Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster occupied eighth and ninth, while WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg rounded out the top 10.

Unstoppable Solberg closes in on WRC2 hat-trick

Home hero Oliver Solberg remained untouchable in WRC2 at Rally Sweden on Saturday, extending his lead as he hunts down a hat-trick of victories on his home round of the FIA World Rally Championship.

Having reigned supreme in Umeå in both 2023 and 2024 aboard a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, Solberg’s switch to a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 has done little to slow his charge. Despite early struggles adjusting to the car on Friday afternoon, the 23-year-old hit his stride on Saturday, delivering a masterclass with four stage wins from seven to stretch his advantage to 39.0sec.

While Finland’s Roope Korhonen held firm in second, a fierce fight raged behind him for the final podium spot, with just 9.6sec separating Georg Linnamäe, Mikko Heikkilä, and Lauri Joona at the start of the day.

Linnamäe came under immediate pressure as Heikkilä slashed 2.3sec from his advantage on the opening test. Forced to respond, the Estonian pushed beyond the limit — and paid the price. A costly off into a snowbank on the very next stage left him stranded, and although spectators helped him back on the road, he lost over five minutes, dashing his hopes of a repeat podium finish.

With Linnamäe out of contention, Heikkilä seized the opportunity, moving into third and setting a string of top-three stage times to pull 13.8sec clear of Joona. His charge continued into the afternoon, slashing the gap to Korhonen ahead to just 17.7sec while leaving Joona trailing by 25.7sec.

Solberg, meanwhile, kept the throttle on, bookending the loop with two more stage wins. Linnamäe salvaged some pride by topping SS13, while Isak Reiersen rounded out the top five.

Beyond the overall battle, Korhonen’s second place also saw him leading the WRC2 Challenger class, while Spain’s Alexander Villanueva dominated the WRC Masters Cup with a commanding 1min 30sec advantage.

Gill seizes Junior WRC lead after Johansson’s heartbreak

Taylor Gill is on the verge of victory at the FIA Junior WRC’s opening round after local favourite Mille Johansson’s hopes of back-to-back Rally Sweden wins were shattered on Saturday’s penultimate leg.

Johansson, last year’s event winner, had been in dominant form on home soil, extending his overnight advantage to nearly a minute with a commanding run through Sarsjöliden. But his hopes faded on the first run through Kolksele when the Swede strayed off-line and buried his M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 in a deep snowbank, losing almost three minutes.

FIA Rally Star Gill took full advantage. The Australian surged into the lead and delivered a faultless drive across the following four ice-laden speed tests to end the day in Umeå with a commanding 1min 11.4sec cushion.

Despite his costly error, Johansson mounted a fierce fightback. Initially dropping as low as fourth, the 19-year-old clawed back lost ground with a string of rapid stage times to claim second, powering past both Eamonn Kelly and Ali Türkkan in the process.

Kelly, representing the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, remained in podium contention, but with Türkkan breathing down his neck just 1.2sec behind, the battle for third remained wide open.

Belgian newcomer Thomas Martens continued to impress on his Junior WRC debut, showcasing strong speed to move within 5.4sec of fifth-placed Kerem Kazaz in the morning. Kazaz, who was slowed by a damaged tyre on SS10, hit back in the second half of the day - re-extending the gap back to 12.1sec.

Max Smart had been sitting sixth but fell behind Martens after going off the road on SS10. The South African would later retire for the day with water pump failure following another trip into the scenery.

WRC Young Driver Team contenders Claire Schönborn and Lyssia Baudet occupied seventh and eighth, while Tristan Charpentier - recovering from a Friday setback - placed ninth. The Frenchman showed flashes of brilliance on his debut and set the fastest time for SS11.

Diego Domínguez and Joosep Nõgene both rejoined under restart rules, with Nõgene ending the day on a high by posting the third-fastest time on SS15.

Just three stages and almost 70km of competitive action remain on Sunday before Rally Sweden crowns its winner.