Evans took a commanding 1m49.9s lead over team-mate Sebastien Ogier into the day’s eight levels after starring in treacherous moist situations on Friday.
The Welsh driver conceded time to Ogier throughout Saturday’s stage however will head into Sunday’s closing six levels with a margin of 1m15.0s.
Toyota remained on the right track to safe a podium lockout on house soil as two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera ended the day in third, 1m40.6s adrift.
The only real remaining Hyundai of Esapekka Lappi accomplished the day in fourth (+3m09.3s) after beginning Saturday in seventh.
M-Sport’s Ott Tanak managed to increase the hole over sixth-placed Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta to 14.9s within the day’s closing stage.
WRC2 champion Andreas Mikkelsen, Gregoire Munster, Nikolay Gryazin and Kajetan Kajetanowicz accomplished the highest 10.
Photograph by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport
Esapekka Lappi, Janne Ferm, Hyundai World Rally Crew Hyundai i20 N Rally1
Lappi triumphed within the third move by way of the side-by aspect Toyota Stadium Tremendous Particular that hosted the day’s closing stage. The Finn comfortably eclipsed rally chief Evans by 2.9s.
“It’s not regular that I’m good at these tremendous specials, however this weekend I feel 22 tremendous specials can be good for me,” stated Lappi, who has starred within the earlier two passes by way of the stage.
Tanak managed to defeat the moist tyre-shod Rovanpera of their duel to clock the second quickest time, 1.5s shy of Lappi’s benchmark.
An emotional Katsuta delighted the packed crowd by beating Ogier of their head-to-head by 1.0s.
“Due to all the followers. There are such a lot of folks within the stadium and for positive, I need to push tomorrow as a lot as I can till the very finish,” stated Katsuta.
Crews will face 84.08km of levels on Sunday.