The conditions, with moderate cleaning at times and more moderate pollution at other times, left it a pretty even rally. This one was settled by car and driver, not road position, which is what I dream of before every Rally Sweden and get about one time in four.

Evans: It came together. He was fast, he pushed when it made sense to and not when it didn't. Evans doesn't do "fight", he calculates.

Katsuta: in a rally that suits him, he pushed a bit more than was strictly sensible at times but rode his luck and stayed on the road.

Neuville: talked about understeer more than Evans talked about his own handling problems. Came third, a good result in the circumstances. He's very well-matched with Evans when they are both happy, i.e. when Thierry's got no understeer/oversteer and Elfyn's got no hybrid.

Tanak: looked good before his engine problems. He was the one who had me worried. I think EstWRC can take this as a promising rally, despite the result. But we seem to say "promising" instead of "victorious" a lot...

Rovanpera: made the best of a bad job, this was damage limitation but at least it was competent damage limitation. Some people would have got angsty and crashed.

Fourmaux: generally, I think he "over pushes" just a little and he would get more points over a whole season if he were steadier. This is excusable in a younger driver. But the off was just stupid and he should learn from it.

Sesks: fine. I am very impressed that he got the money together, and the drive was OK too. I hope he has some newsworthy gravel rallies later in the year, and secures himself more WRC1 time.

McErlean: is here to finish rallies and nothing else. So, well done digging yourself out of the snow.

Pajari: is here to finish rallies and nothing else, so well done for slowing down after he knocked the tyre off the rim.