Solberg leads Toyota sweep on Rally Sweden opening stage

Oliver Solberg established an early lead at Rally Sweden, clocking a time of 5min 53.1sec on the initial 10.23km test. His performance anchored a dominant opening for Toyota Gazoo Racing, with teammates Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari filling the remaining top four spots. Solberg described the stage as technically demanding, noting the lack of a clear line and the difficult handling characteristics of the car.

Hyundai Motorsport drivers Thierry Neuville, Adrien Fourmaux, and Esapekka Lappi claimed the fifth through seventh positions. Neuville adopted a cautious approach to braking, while Fourmaux and Lappi navigated challenges with snow dust obscuring their vision.

M-Sport Ford experienced a mixed start to the event. While Josh McErlean and Mārtiņš Sesks secured top-10 finishes, teammate Jon Armstrong lost significant time after an off-track excursion into a snowbank. The field moves on to Friday’s itinerary in the forests of Västerbotten for seven competitive stages covering over 120 kilometres.