Estonian Jaspar Vaher showed his star potential on Saturday to take the lead into the final day of BAUHAUS Royal Rally of Scandinavia.
At the completion of leg one, the 19-year-old is 8.8 seconds ahead of the vastly experienced Teemu Suninen with Mikko Heikkilä completing the provisional podium after eight stages, just 5.5 seconds behind his fellow Finn.
Competing on round two of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship alongside co-driver Rait Jansen, Vaher headed into Saturday’s opening test as the hunted following his fastest time on Friday evening’s super special.
Despite his lack of Rally2 experience, the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Program talent excelled by moving 10.0 seconds clear of the chasing pack when he set the pace on SS3.
Counting on a Pirelli-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the Junior ERC graduate reached midday service leading three-time FIA World Rally Championship podium finisher Suninen by 10.7 seconds.
He then extended his lead to 11.5 seconds before front-right tire damage nearing the finish of the first run through Colins allowed Suninen to close to within 9.6 seconds.
But Vaher hit back with the fastest time on the day’s penultimate stage for an overall lead of 10.4 seconds, which was trimmed to 8.8 seconds following the repeat of Colins.
“Overall, it’s been a really good day I must say,” Vaher said. “I couldn’t have expected this kind of thing. Let’s say this puncture ruined our plans a little bit but it’s part of the game.
“Overall, it’s okay and we need to make our preparations for tomorrow and continue the same way.”
Behind Heikkilä, Karlstad-based Isak Reiersen was fourth in a Hankook-supplied Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 having outpaced Mārtiņš Sesks for much of leg one. But Sesks, who is making his ERC comeback for Team MRF Tyres and reckoned he dropped 10 seconds with a high-speed spin and stall on an SS3 left-hander, overtook the Sweden on the day’s final stage. Sesks is 2.7 seconds ahead of Reiersen and 3.2 seconds down on Heikkilä after Saturday’s running.
Frank Tore Larsen, who has won all eight rallies that he’s contested in his native Norway this season, is sixth with Calle Carlberg in seventh. The former Junior ERC driver is just 1.3sec in front of fellow Swede Patrik Hallberg, who equalled Mads Østberg’s record jump of 47 meters over the iconic Colin’s Crest.
Freestyle mountain bike star Brandon Semenuk and Simone Tempestini completed the overnight top 10 followed by Fabrizio Zaldivar, ERC champion Miko Marczyk, Tuukka Kauppinen and Takumi Matsushita, Vaher’s Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Program teammate.
