Championship leader Solberg faces Rally Sweden test

Following his victory at the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo, Oliver Solberg heads to Umeå as the championship leader and local favourite. The Toyota driver looks to maintain his momentum on the frozen stages of Rally Sweden, though he acknowledges the complexities of opening the road for the rest of the field in these conditions.

Competitors will tackle stages with high grip provided by the solid frozen base, though conditions remain demanding. A lack of fresh snowfall means the iconic snowbanks are lower than usual, offering less of a buffer for drivers attempting to rotate their Rally1 cars at speed. The event covers 300km across 18 speed tests, beginning with a Thursday night stage in Umeå.

Hyundai Motorsport enters the weekend looking to rebound, featuring 2024 world champion Thierry Neuville alongside previous event winner Esapekka Lappi, who may benefit from a more favorable road position. Toyota’s depth remains significant with Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, while M-Sport Ford brings a trio of Puma Rally1s to the snow, including the start of a half-season campaign for Mārtiņš Sesks.