Change of leader, follow the first day of the Rally Sweden with live commentary

After the Monte-Carlo a few weeks ago, the 2025 season of the WRC resumes the most beautiful with the Rally from Sweden this weekend. A race held on the snowy roads around Umea where this second round of the year is based. On the competitors' side, Sébastien Ogier is not among the entrants. As has been the case since it decided to switch to a partial programme, the Tricolore is skipping the Swedish round.

So it's Elfyn Evans who will sweep the road this Friday in front of Adrien fourmaux, third in the Monte Carlo Rally at the end of January. In difficulty for the season opener, Kalle Rovanperä, who is back on a full programme, will be keen to bounce back. The Finn, in search of a third world crown, could be one of the big players in this Rally of Sweden.

In terms of the route, this 2025 Rally Sweden will be held over 18 special stages, including 7 this Friday. Here is today's program:

09:18 p.m. – SS2 : Bygdsiljum 1 – 28,27 km
10:19 p.m. – SS3 : Andersvattnet 1 – 20,51 km
11:27 p.m. – SS4 : Back 1 – 10,80 km
14:48 p.m. – SS5 : Bygdsiljum 2 – 28,27 km
15:49 p.m. – SS6 : Andersvattnet 2 – 20,51 km
16:57 p.m. – SS7 : Back 2 – 10,80 km
19:05 p.m. – SS8 : Umea Sprint 2 – 5,16 km

WRC – Rally Sweden 2025
The first day with live commentary

17:39 p.m. – 🏁 This is the end of this live commentary of the Rally of Sweden. Thank you for accompanying us throughout the day. See you this Saturday from 9:10 a.m. to follow a new day of competition! Have a great evening everyone!

17:35 p.m. – 🏁 And the scratch of ES7 for Neuville to allow the Top 5 of this Rally of Sweden to be held in less than 10 seconds only! Indeed, the Belgian, currently 5th, is only 9“9 behind the leader Thank youThe gaps are so tight that the Estonian is only half a second ahead of Katsuta and 1 seconds ahead of Evans!

SS7 standings

General classification after SS7

17h30 - Sesks can also be satisfied with his time in this special. 6'07"9 for the Latvian, only 5"4 behind Neuville. This special is certainly short but very narrow and fast, so we continue to learn again and again. »

17h27 - A big smile in the cockpit of Pajari and we understand it. Only 1“9 behind Neuville for the Finn who completed the SS7 in 6'04“4

17h24 - 6'10"5 for Munster 8 seconds behind Neuville. The Luxembourger a little less in form in this night special

17h21 - And on the line it's a 6'05"5 at 3 seconds from Neuville for Katsuta which relegates Evans to third place overall!

17h18 - McErlean stops his time in 6'13"8 on the finish line 11"3 from Neuville

17h15 - Tänak's mark has already fallen. It was Neuville who took it upon himself to improve it by 8 tenths. The new reference to beat is: 6'02“5

17h12 - Tänak had a close call after hitting a snow wall in a left turn but it was more of a scare than harm for the Estonian who set the provisional best time in 6'03“3, 1“5 faster than Fourmaux. In addition, he takes the lead in the Rally Sweden while waiting for the final passages. I gave it my all in this special (…) There were some hot moments! »

17h09 - Rovanperä a little better in this special but still not enough to hope to set the best time. The Finn completed the 10,8 km of SS7 in 6'06, 1"2 behind Fourmaux.

17h06 - Fourmaux on the attack! The Northerner went all out in this very fast special to beat Evans' mark by 3 seconds with a time of 5'6"04. I had a better stage than the last one. I changed a few settings and they seem to have worked. »

17h03 - 6'08"3 for Evans who sets the first reference in this ES7

16:57 p.m. – 🟢 Here we go for SS7! A small difference but not the least, it is contested at night unlike the morning passage. So watch out for the traps. Evans is on the road

16:34 p.m. – 🏁 The start of SS7 is scheduled for 16:57 p.m.

16:32 p.m. – 🏁 And the scratch for Tänak while Evans recovers the lead of the general classification by 1″ ahead of Katsuta, 9th in this SS8, 6 full seconds behind the Estonian, currently 8rd.

SS6 standings

General classification after SS6

16h27 - Sesks continues his great afternoon. If he does not play the best time, the Latvian fights in front. With a time of 10'54"6, he only dropped 5"4 after having a time equal with Tänak. Encouraging for the rest.

16h24 - 11'04 for Pajari at 14“8 behind Tänak's time. Maybe we have a different strategic choice. As for the sensations, I would say that I had a good special. »

16h21 - Munster reached the finish in 10'59“6, 10“4 behind Tänak. The Luxembourger once again pointed out a lack of grip during the special

16h18 - Short-lived joy for Katsuta who already loses the lead of the Rally Sweden. The Japanese completed the special in 10'57"2, 8 seconds behind Tänak. This allows Evans to regain first place in the general classification.

16h15 - Not bad this passage of McErlean! The Irishman shows signs of progress over the stages and this time finished only 5“7 from Tänak. 10'54“9 for him with the 4th provisional time

16h12 - This time, Neuville was calmer than the previous special. Did he change strategy? 10'56"2 for the Belgian, 7 behind Tänak. I tried to manage the tires a little more. Without forgetting that the tire strategy is essential this afternoon (…) You always have to be careful. »

16h09 - The first improvement in this SS6 comes from Tänak. 10'49“2 for the Estonian who dislodges Evans from the first place of the special by 0“3

16h06 - Evans' time holds up after Rovanperä passed, who was 7 seconds slower than him with a time of 10'56"5. The Finn still can't do it

16h03 - Fourmaux lost a lot of time in the second part of the special, falling back to beyond 4 seconds after having had a lead of up to 2 seconds. On the line, his time showed a time of 10'54"7, 5"2 slower than the Welshman. The conditions were tricky (…) Sometimes I had understeer, sometimes oversteer… »

16h00 - 10'49“5 is the benchmark to beat in this SS6 by Evans. The rear of the car moves around a lot, " points out the Welshman

15:49 p.m. – 🟢 No rest here in Sweden where it's already started again. Evans is the first on the road!

15:38 p.m. – 🏁 The start of SS6 is scheduled for 15:49 p.m.

15:35 p.m. – 🏁 And so it's a first scratch for Katsuta in this Rally Sweden 2025. The Japanese impressed in this SS5 to take the lead in the general classification. He is now in the lead with a 5" lead over Evans and a 8" lead over Tänak. Fourmaux has moved back to 9th but is only 7 tenths from third place.

SS5 standings

General classification after SS5

15h29 - Sesks much more comfortable than this morning. The Latvian signs the third time in 13'58“3 at 8“2 “only” behind Katsuta. We continue to learn. » He is currently 7th, 40 seconds behind the leader.

15h26 - Beautiful special from Pajari, only 10 seconds from the leader. 1'14 for him and third provisional time in this SS00.

15h23 - 4th provisional time for Munster who says he is much more comfortable with the car. 14'02"7 for him at 12"6 from Katsuta

15h20 - Katsuta's big move! In addition to improving by 2 seconds compared to Neuville with a time of 3'13"50, the Japanese has taken the lead in the general classification! It feels good. We must continue like this! »

15h17 - McErlean finishes this first special of the afternoon. 14'09"6 for the Irishman at 17"3 from Neuville

15h14 - Clearly, the lunch break did Neuville a lot of good, who was totally lacking in confidence this morning. The Belgian sorted out his understeer issues and made short work of Tänak's time, beating it by 9 seconds. The new reference is: 6'13"52. " It's a surprise, but a good one! I don't know what happened because I'm still suffering from understeer and I was paying attention to the tires. »

15h11 - A great start to the afternoon for Tänak who beats Evans' time by 2 seconds. The new mark to beat is 3'14. This allows the Estonian to pass Fourmaux in the general classification. Here he is 02nd, 2 seconds behind Evans.

15h08 - Rovanperä's awakening? It seems to be working better in any case for the Finn who only lost 1 seconds to Evans. 1'14"05 for him on the line. The conditions are different (…) We have some big changes to the support. »

15h05 - Fourmaux can blame himself because this mistake costs him not being currently in the lead of the general classification. 14'06“5 for him at 2“2 from Evans. He lost about 6 seconds in this affair. On a bend, I stalled and the car wouldn't start again. It happens unfortunately. We lost time there. »

15h02 - It's a little slower than this morning. Much slower since Evans crossed the line in 14'04"3, more than 15 seconds slower than his first pass. Under threat from Fourmaux, the Welshman should temporarily keep the lead in the general classification since Fourmaux missed a turn and lost a few seconds.

14:48 – 🟢 The action resumes in Sweden with the start of the second loop of the day. Evans is already on the road to the Bygdsiljum SS5, 28,27 km long. This morning, he set the fastest time in 13:48 “8. Will he double the lead? The answer in a few minutes

14:45 p.m. – 🔍 As a reminder, here is the order of the day:

• Evans
• Fourmaux
• Rovanperä
• Thank you
• Neuville
• McErlean
• Feel it
• Munster
• Pottery
• Sex
• Serderidis

14:42 p.m. – Hello again everyone! We are now ready for the second loop of this Friday's Rally Sweden. Just a few minutes left before the start of SS5.

12:08 – 🏁 The resumption of Rally Sweden is scheduled for 14:48 with SS5.

12h06 – 🏁 And it's a second scratch in a row for Fourmaux who is back to 1"9 from Evans in the lead of this Rally of Sweden. Very good morning for the Northerner who could take advantage of it to become a serious contender for victory on the Swedish snow. Tänak is third at 6"2. Katsuta and Rovanperä complete the Top 5 at 8"4 and 18 seconds respectively from the Welshman

SS4 standings

General classification after SS4

12h00 – 6'05“7 for Sesks at 11“1 from Fourmaux. The Latvian is currently 8th at 41 seconds from Evans. We are still learning (…) These are new conditions for me that I have not been used to in the past. »

11h57 – Pajari continues to learn and is gradually getting closer to the top of the table. The Finn only let 8 seconds slip this time with a time of 7'6"03. I'm just trying to have a clean run, staying away from problems (…) Overall, the feeling is good »

11h54 – Munster finished in 6'05“1 at 10“5 from Fourmaux but has a smile after a difficult start to the day. We found something about the beginning of the day (…) We have to continue like this »

11h51 – Katsuta completes the morning loop. 5'59“8 for the Japanese in this SS4 at 5“2 from Fourmaux

11h48 – 6'05 for McErlean at 10“4 from Fourmaux. Nevertheless, the Irishman seems to have made a step forward in terms of pace since Monte-Carlo last January

11h45 – Fourmaux’s time holds up after Neuville’s passage. 6’01“2 for the Belgian, 6“6 behind his teammate. It was better but there are still changes to be made. »

11h42 – 5'59“6 for Tänak who signs the same time as Rovanperä. Above all, it allows Fourmaux to steal second place in the general classification. The Estonian is currently 4“3 behind the Tricolore

11h39 – Rovanperä still behind and still conceding time. 5 full seconds behind for the Finn with a time of 5'59“6. We'll try to find something for the afternoon. »

11h36 – Fourmaux finishes with a bang! The Northerner improves by 3 seconds and sets a new benchmark of 9'5"54. I'm very happy with the way we managed the tires this morning even though we only opted for 5 tires. »

11h33 – It’s going very fast in this special. 5’58“5 for Evans in this last outing of the morning. It was ok. A little too hard to read the grip. Maybe I didn't have the speed I was hoping for too… »

11h27 – 🟢 The last special of the morning in Sweden is underway. Leader Evans is already in action. 10,80 kilometres in this Bäck special, the shortest of the loop

11h05 – 🏁 The start of SS4 is scheduled for 11:27.

11h00 – 🏁 And it's the scratch for Fourmaux, his first of the weekend! A time that allows the Northerner to move up to provisional third place in the general classification of this Rally of Sweden. Now, the driver Hyundai 5 seconds behind Evans, second in this SS8

SS3 standings

General classification after SS3

10h57 – Sesks the best representative of M-Sport in this SS3. 10'51“7 for the Latvian at 7“9 from Fourmaux

10h54 – Clean stage for Pajari who was able to get a little closer to the top of the table. The Finn only conceded 10 seconds this time with a time of 3'10"54

10h51 – 12 seconds behind the line for Munster with a time of 8'10"56. Better feelings, because we made changes during the liaison but there is still room to do better. »

10h48 – 10'46“8 for Katsuta who finished 3 seconds behind the reference. This allows Fourmaux to move up to 3rd overall

10h45 – McErlean finishes SS3. 10'58“5 for the Irishman who concedes 14“7 on Fourmaux. It was a very different stage compared to the first one (…) I feel like I had to drive a bit more sideways to be able to pivot the car in the corners. »

10h42 – 10'48“5 for Neuville who finished 4“7 behind Fourmaux. It smells good for the Northerner. I'm still struggling, generally speaking, with understeer. During the first part it was okay, but not at all during the second... I can't do much (...) It seems like the balance changes during the special »

10h39 – Fourmaux remains in the lead of the special after Tänak's passage. The Estonian reached the finish in 10'46"8, 3 full seconds behind his teammate.

10h36 – 10'50“7 for Rovanperä who loses more time. 6“9 lost for the Finn. I tried changing some settings on the connection. It's a little better (…) But at the moment it's not working so well. We'll have to take a closer look during support. »

10h33 – It didn’t take long. Fourmaux beats Evans’ time by 1 seconds. The new mark to beat is 8’10”43. This is the stage with the most powder in the rally, so we can expect big time gaps with the cars behind. Personally, I had a good stage, but I think the second run will be more difficult. »

10h30 – 10'45“6 for Evans in this SS3. It remains to be seen whether this mark will hold up or not this time…

10h28 – This time, Evans is likely to have more competition because after 12,5 km, Fourmaux is provisionally ahead of him

10h19 – 🟢 The action resumes in Sweden where Evans has set off to attack SS3! 20,51 kilometres on the programme for this first run on the Andersvattnet special!

10h09 – 🏁 The start of ES3 is scheduled for 10:19

10h06 – 🏁 After Serderidis passed (+3'41“6), Evans won this first scratch of the game ahead of Katsuta and Tänak by 1“1 and 2“2 respectively. Overall, the Welshman remains in the lead with a 2“7 lead over Tänak and 6“5 over Katsuta.

SS2 standings

General classification after SS2

10h00 – Sesks is quietly finding his marks for his first of the year. 14'15“5 for the Latvian at 16“7 from Evans who will win this SS2

9h57 – Trouble for Pajari! The Finn also lost a lot of time in the last part. In fact, he went off the rails and lost 41 seconds with a time of 6:14 seconds. This happened after contact with the snow wall. For me, it was a completely normal contact, nothing to worry about... Apparently not »

9h54 – Munster lost a lot of time in this second part of the special since he crossed the line with a time of 14'35“6 to 36“8 from Evans. I'm having trouble with the balance of the car, I can't get it to pivot in the corners in addition to constant understeer. »

9h50 – Katsuta believed in it but he finally failed 1“1 from Evans while he had provisionally been ahead of the Welshman. 13'59“9 for the Japanese, currently 3rd overall

9h47 – McErlean first M-Sport driver to cross the finish line. 14'11“3 for the Irishman at 12“5 from Evans whose time is still holding up

9h44 – Still no improvement as Neuville completed the special in 14'09, 11 behind Evans. I try to turn but the car doesn't want to. It's weird. At one point I had to take my foot off the gas (…) In some places it was scary. » The same problem as Tänak apparently

9h41 – Evans' mark holds firm. Tänak crosses the line in turn but also late against the Welshman. 14'01 for the Estonian at 2“2. It's super tricky! It was hard for me to find confidence on this special. "He particularly pointed out excessive understeer on his i20.

9h38 – Rovanperä already behind. The Finn still seems to be suffering at the start of the season. 14'10“1 for him on the line at 11“3 from Evans. There's not much to say to be honest. There's not much more I can do… »

9h35 – And this is confirmed with the arrival of Fourmaux who finished 6 seconds behind Evans with a time of 2'14"05. The Northerner said he was in a difficult situation in this first outing of the day. It was very difficult, I was suffering with the rear of the car, I had no traction »

9h32 – 13'58“8 for Evans on the line who does not seem to be disadvantaged by the opener position for the moment since Fourmaux and Rovanperä are less quick than him at the moment. The conditions are very difficult. There seems to be a clear line in the middle of the road but we are constantly looking for grip. »

9h25 – ❄️ Regarding the conditions, it is currently -11°C according to the latest reports. The route is well defined by two frozen lines. If the drivers leave them, they will end up with snow on the sides

9h18 – 🟢 It's on for Rally Sweden 2025! Evans gets the starting signal. Here he is, off to tackle the 28,27 kilometres of this Bygdsiljum stage!

9h16 – 🛞 On the strategy side: Neuville, Tänak, Fourmaux and Evans will do the morning loop with 5 studded tires. The rest will take 6 for these first 3 special stages of the day

9h13 – 🔍 Here is the starting order of the day:

• Evans
• Fourmaux
• Rovanperä
• Thank you
• Neuville
• McErlean
• Feel it
• Munster
• Pottery
• Sex
• Serderidis

9h05 – 👋 Hello everyone ! Welcome to this live commentary to follow together the first day of the Rally Sweden, second round of the 2025 WRC season, with live commentary on AUTOhebdo! The start of SS2 (Bygdsiljum – 28,27 km) will be given in a few minutes, at 9:18!

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