Rallying-Rovanpera overhauls Evans to take the lead in Estonia

World championship frontrunner Kalle Rovanpera led Rally Estonia after reeling in Toyota team mate Elfyn Evans on a slippery first full day of action on Friday.

After nine stages the Finn was 11.7 seconds clear of the Welshman, who lost time when he slid off the muddy road in heavy rain on the day's final stage and saw a 10 second lead disappear.

Estonia's 2019 world champion Ott Tanak was in third place for Hyundai and 44.3 seconds off the lead.

"I was not expecting to lead after the morning," Rovanpera told.

"We did a good job opening the road and also in the afternoon we had good times. Of course, the weather on the last stage was on our side, we gained when the others got the rain."

Evans won five stages in a row before Rovanpera closed the day with three straight wins.

Tanak was handed a 10 second penalty for continuing to use his hybrid car's petrol engine during a designated full electric zone on the way to the first stage, and then struggled late on with a misted-up windscreen.

M-Sport's Irish driver Craig Breen, who led after Thursday night's opening stage in Tartu, collected a similar sanction to Tanak's and then retired after sliding off the road and hitting a post.

The impact broke his car's front left suspension. Breen is expected to rejoin on Saturday when drivers face a further nine stages around the ski resort of Otepaa.

Rovanpera has a 65-point lead in the championship after four wins from six rounds.

Hyundai's Belgian Thierry Neuville, second in the championship, ended the day in fifth place.