Ogier leads despite early off in Sweden

With temperatures having fallen sufficiently to freeze the surface on Friday's opening Torsby stage and adequate snow on the following two stages over the Norwegian border, conditions proved better than had been feared when the rally was at risk of cancellation earlier in the week.

Ogier was fastest on all three stages of the first loop, but both he and Mikkelsen had dramas on the Svullrya stage when they hit a watersplash they had not expected.

The VWs went off the course through the trees and picked up what appeared on initial inspection to be minor damage.

Ogier recovered faster than his team-mate and heads for the midday regroup with a 24.2-second advantage.

The third Polo of Jari-Matti Latvala is already out of contention, having sustained a broken driveshaft on the first stage.

Latvala is limping through the stages with two-wheel drive and his deficit to Ogier is already over four minutes.

With no full service until the evening, Latvala must complete the entire Friday leg in that condition.

Thierry Neuville hit similar transmission troubles on Svullrya just after taking third place from Kris Meeke's PH Sport Citroen. The Hyundai rapidly tumbled down the order.

Meeke therefore regained the position, 1.2s ahead of Neuville's team-mate Dani Sordo.

Mikkelsen's time loss in the watersplash - where the VWs' wild lines warned following drivers of the potential danger - left him only just ahead of the close Meeke and Sordo led pack behind.

Second to sixth places are now covered by just 13s, with Mads Ostberg and Ott Tanak completing that group, and Hayden Paddon not far adrift.

World Rally Championship returnee Henning Solberg and Citroen debutant Craig Breen are in a close fight for eighth, split by just 0.3s.

M-Sport's new second driver Eric Camilli has struggled with his inexperience in the conditions and is running just ahead of the WRC2 leaders.