Rally Sweden – Toyota in the powder

Was the double achieved in Monaco misleading? Didn't it make the Yaris look a cut above the rest? This may have been the case on the dry roads of the special stages in the south of France, but this scenario is absolutely not happening again in the province of Vasterbotten.

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Forced to open the road in the absence of Sébastien Ogier who leads the championship, Kalle Rovanperä managed to limit the damage quite well during the first stage. Author of three of the 8 best possible times, the Finn finished his Friday in 5^e position 31s1 from the leader and only 19s9 from the podium. Although not satisfied with the behavior of his car on Saturday morning, he gradually managed to close his gap, passing Elfyn Evans in SS10 and then closing in on 3^e marche détenue par son compatriote de Hyundai Esapekka Lappi.

Ready for a Sunday send in pursuit of the podium 🎯#ToyotaGAZOORacing #GRYaris #WRC #RallySweden 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/8m6x1Boc09

— TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (@TGR_WRC) February 11, 2023

Guilty of an error that could have been costly, the 2022 world champion took advantage of that of EP to settle in 3^e rank. In the fight with Thierry Neuville he ended up giving in, having no more studs on his tires. During the two stages contested so far, the Finn was the only one to stand out within the TGR, which is not very reassuring for the future.

Designated as 3^e driver to score points in the absence of Sébastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta was initially convincing with a better time in SS4. He then performed one of the most beautiful tricks of the weekend. His somersault-dive-twist ended with a car all crumpled up both outside and inside. Forced to stop his race on Friday, he started again on Saturday in the role of sweeper No. 1 with the sole objective of finishing. While Takamoto missed his first meeting as a starter, Elfyn Evans performed a performance which confirmed his difficulties with the Yaris.

Kalle and Jonne still fighting for the podium with one day to go. ⏱️#ToyotaGAZOORacing #GRYaris #WRC #RallySweden 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/nVGuGhsd89

- TOYOTA GAZOO Racing WRT (@TGR_WRC) February 11, 2023

Immediately complaining about not having also had the opportunity to make a rally national as a preamble to this snowy meeting, the Welshman quickly admitted that he was not confident. However, appreciating this type of terrain on which he won in 2020, Evans only seemed to be able to compete during the Friday afternoon loop. Apart from this short moment, the Toyota driver mainly fought with a vehicle that he definitely has difficulty using when it is not exactly the way he wants it. In terms of the 15 stages already contested, Elfyn occupies a flattering 5^e instead.

While there remains a stage made up of 3 SS representing 63,04 km timed, Toyota Gazoo Racing does not appear capable of having a good weekend. In the absence of Sébastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanperä is alone in defending the colors of the Japanese manufacturer.