The third day of Rally Sweden has come to an end. Esapekka Lappi held on to his lead after the days seven stages.
SS9, Vännäs 1
Ott Tänak kicked off the penultimate day with a stage win. As the 2023 Rally Sweden winner posted a time 0.3 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans to top the stage. Kalle Rovanperä finished third fastest on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Evans. Takamoto Katsuta set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.7 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.3 seconds slower than Katsuta.
SS10, Sarsjöliden 1
Kalle Rovanperä claimed the stage win on the second stage of the day. Setting a time 2.8 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to top the stage. Elfyn Evans finished third fastest on the stage, one second slower than Tänak. Adrien Fourmaux posted the fourth fastest time, 0.4 seconds slower than Evans. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing two seconds slower than Fourmaux.
SS11, Bygdsiljum 1
Adrien Fourmaux took home his first stage win of the season on the eleventh stage of Rally Sweden. As Fourmaux posted a time 1.5 seconds faster than Thierry Neuville to top the stage. Elfyn Evans finished third fastest, 3.3 seconds slower than Neuville. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time, 0.4 seconds slower than Evans. Esapekka Lappi rounded out the top five on the stage, 2.1 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS12, Vännas 2
Elfyn Evans claimed the first stage win of the afternoon loop. As Evans set a time 1.5 seconds faster than Adrien Fourmaux. Esapekka Lappi finished third fastest on the stage, 7.2 seconds slower than Fourmaux. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.8 seconds slower than Lappi. Thierry Neuville rounded out the top five on the stage, 0.6 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS13, Sarsjöliden 2
Thierry Neuville joined in on the stage wins on the third day of Rally Sweden. As he claimed his first stage win of the day by posting a time 0.2 seconds faster than Elfyn Evans on the stage. Adrien Fourmaux finished third fastest on the stage, 1.5 seconds slower than Evans. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.9 seconds slower than Fourmaux. Kalle Rovanperä rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.5 seconds slower than Lappi.
SS14, Bygdsiljum 2
Thierry Neuville also took the stage win on the penultimate stage of the penultimate day. As he set a time one second faster than Elfyn Evans on the stage. Adrien Fourmaux finished third fastest on the stage, 0.3 seconds slower than Evans. Kalle Rovanperä posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 1.6 seconds slower than Fourmaux. Ott Tänak rounded out the top five on the stage, 5.6 seconds slower than Rovanperä.
SS15, Umeá 1
Thierry Neuville capped off the third day of Rally Sweden with another stage win. As Neuville posted a time 0.9 seconds faster than Ott Tänak to win his third consecutive stage. Kalle Rovanperä finished third fastest on the stage, one second slower than Tänak. Esapekka Lappi set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.2 seconds slower than Rovanperä. Adrien Fourmaux rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 4.3 seconds slower than Lappi.
Overall After Rally Sweden Day Three
Esapekka Lappi held onto his lead over the course of the third day. Lappi now holds a minute and 6.3-second lead over Adrien Fourmaux who sits second. Elfyn Evans heads into the final day third overall, 16.7 seconds behind Fourmaux. Thierry Neuville sits fourth, 59.1 seconds behind Evans. Oliver Solberg rounds out the top five, ending the day a minute and 39 seconds behind Neuville. Evans and Fourmaux will battle for second overall on the final day’s three stages. Other than that nothing should really change unless somebody retires.
Katsuta Out
Takamoto Katsuta’s chances of winning his first event came to an end early into the third day. As Katsuta crashed out and got his car stuck on a snowbank on SS10. Katsuta sat just 0.9 seconds behind leader Esapekka Lappi heading into stage 10. It’s a disappointing finish for Katsuta who had looked good up until that point.