Elfyn Evans claimed his second victory in Rally Sweden 2025 after a dramatic finish that added extra excitement to the fourth Umeå edition of the event.
“What a week it has been! I really didn’t make it easy for myself on the final day,” Evans said with a laugh as he happily stepped onto the podium at The Red Barn Arena.
After an impressive weekend where he led 15 out of 18 stages, Sunday turned into a thrilling rally drama at its finest. The top-level driving showcased exactly why WRC drivers belong in the FIA World Rally Championship.
Elfyn Evans has now started this year’s World Championship season with a second-place finish and a victory, also taking the lead in the overall standings.
“It’s still early in the season, and we’re just getting started, but there’s no complaining about this kind of start,” Evans summarized after a tight and exciting competition among the top drivers.
Throughout the weekend, Evans was the most balanced in his driving. He secured seven stage wins and only lost the lead to Takamoto Katsuta twice and to Ott Tänak once. In the end, Evans clinched victory by 3.8 seconds over Katsuta, with Thierry Neuville finishing over eleven seconds behind, and 2023 Rally Sweden winner Ott Tänak ending 16.8 seconds behind Evans.
It was a fierce battle between Evans and his Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta when the final day began with the Västervik SS16 and SS17 stages, with only three seconds separating them. For a long time, it looked like Katsuta would take the lead, and he actually did when he passed Evans at the start of Sunday’s competition. Katsuta had mixed emotions as he reflected on Rally Sweden—he had come so close to securing his first WRC victory.
“I’m obviously a bit disappointed; it was so close. I had it in my hands. But at the same time, I’m happy for Elfyn, and I can take comfort in the fact that I did a good job for the team. Next time I get this opportunity, I’ll be ready,” said Katsuta, who had a four-second lead with two stages remaining.
But Evans was far from ready to give up.
He drove furiously on the penultimate stage and reclaimed the lead in an impressive fashion. This gave him a solid advantage heading into the decisive final stage at Red Barn Arena. Evans put pressure on his Japanese rival and managed to stay ahead to finally secure victory in Rally Sweden—his second win in the event after his first triumph in 2020.
“I pushed as hard as I could, and luckily, that was the right approach. I was able to hold on all the way to the finish and win. The margins are so small—you can lose three or four seconds just like that. Even the tiniest mistake can make the difference in such a tight competition,” Evans said to the rally fans who had gathered to celebrate the champion in a sun-drenched Umeå.
Evans’ first Rally Sweden victory came in 2020, making him the last winner in the rally’s long history before it moved from Värmland to Umeå. The Welshman had been close to winning in Umeå before, notably fighting for the victory in the inaugural edition but crashing into a snowbank that time.
In 2024, he finished second behind Esa-Pekka Lappi, but this time it was Evans’ turn, making him the fourth winner of the Umeå edition, following Kalle Rovanperä, Ott Tänak, and Esa-Pekka Lappi in previous years.
The victory was also another success for the Toyota team, just like in 2022, as they secured three of the top five positions. Evans and Katsuta claimed gold and silver, while a somewhat frustrated Kalle Rovanperä finished fifth, never quite managing to get into the fight for the top spots over the weekend.
