Umeå (Sweden) (AFP) - Reigning champion Kalle Rovanpera of Toyota seized control of the second event of the 2023 World Rally Championship with the fastest sprint on a snow-dusted track in Sweden on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Finn outdid 2019 world champion Ott Tanak of Estonia and M-Sport Ford and Toyota teammate Elfyn Evans of Britain in a special sprint stage on day one of Rally Sweden in Umea.
Two Hyundai drivers, Finland's Esapekka Lappi and Thierry Neuville of Belgium, took fourth and fifth.
Thursday's sprint was a warm-up for the 17 specials to be contested before the end of the rally on Sunday, with the drivers facing off over a combined distance of more than 300 kilometres (186 miles).
