Solberg stuns with first WRC triumph in Estonia
Oliver Solberg followed in the footsteps of his world champion father Petter, claiming a stunning maiden FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) victory at Delfi Rally Estonia on Sunday.
Photographer Credit: WRC Promoter GmbH / Red Bull Content Pool
1. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2h 36m 35.1s
2. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +25.2s
3. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +48.3s
4. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +55.6s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 33.0s
6. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m 43.4s
Drivers' Championship Standings (After round 8 of 14):
1. O Tänak 162 pts
2. E Evans 161 pts
3. S Ogier 141 pts
Photographer Credit: WRC Promoter GmbH / Red Bull Content PoolThe 23-year-old Swede stunned the WRC elite with a commanding display across the high-speed gravel roads of southern Estonia, sealing his breakthrough win on debut in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 - nearly 20 years after Petter’s final WRC success in 2005.
Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were drafted in for the one-off outing just weeks before the rally and had only two days of testing under their belts. Remarkably, it marked their first Rally1 start since Repco Rally New Zealand in 2022 - but they wasted no time in making an impression, storming into the lead with their first-ever stage win on Friday’s opener stage and remaining unchallenged throughout the weekend.
That momentum carried through into Super Sunday, with Solberg setting the pace on two of the day’s three tests in damp and slippery conditions. Unfazed by the change in grip, he calmly extended his advantage to take the win – Toyota’s 100th in the WRC - by 25.2sec over local hero and 2019 world champion Ott Tänak.
"After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and Elliott finally made it,” said Solberg. “I just want to say thank you to Toyota, to the test team who helped me get so comfortable, for all the help this weekend from this beautiful, beautiful team. I've never had such a good time in my life.
Tänak, the pre-event favourite, struggled to get the best out of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on sections where grip was inconsistent. A stall on Saturday morning cost him around seven seconds, but the immediate threat behind eased on Sunday when team-mate Thierry Neuville, who started the day just 4.0sec adrift, incurred a 10-second penalty for a false start on SS18 and ultimately finished 23.1sec behind Tänak in third.
Despite missing out on the win, Tänak’s result was enough to overhaul Elfyn Evans and move into the lead of the drivers’ championship by a single point. Evans, who placed sixth, will at least benefit from not running first on the road on day one of the upcoming Secto Rally Finland.
Kalle Rovanperä showed improved pace in the damper conditions but was unable to mount a podium challenge. The two-time world champion and three-time Rally Estonia winner had to settle for fourth in another Toyota, finishing 7.3sec adrift of Neuville.
Adrien Fourmaux’s hopes of contending for top Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage points were dashed when his Hyundai nosedived after a jump, damaging the front aero. The Frenchman ended the rally in fifth, ahead of Evans.
Takamoto Katsuta had slipped behind Evans to eighth earlier in the day and was forced to retire his Toyota before the Power Stage due to a technical issue.
After grappling with intermittent power loss on Friday, Sami Pajari brought his Toyota home in seventh overall. The top 10 was rounded out by M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 youngsters Mārtinš Sesks, Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster.
The WRC’s European summer of speed continues in less than two weeks as the championship heads to Jyväskylä for round nine: Secto Rally Finland (31 July - 3 August).
Rally Classification:
Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson were drafted in for the one-off outing just weeks before the rally and had only two days of testing under their belts. Remarkably, it marked their first Rally1 start since Repco Rally New Zealand in 2022 - but they wasted no time in making an impression, storming into the lead with their first-ever stage win on Friday’s opener stage and remaining unchallenged throughout the weekend.
That momentum carried through into Super Sunday, with Solberg setting the pace on two of the day’s three tests in damp and slippery conditions. Unfazed by the change in grip, he calmly extended his advantage to take the win – Toyota’s 100th in the WRC - by 25.2sec over local hero and 2019 world champion Ott Tänak.
"After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and Elliott finally made it,” said Solberg. “I just want to say thank you to Toyota, to the test team who helped me get so comfortable, for all the help this weekend from this beautiful, beautiful team. I've never had such a good time in my life.
Tänak, the pre-event favourite, struggled to get the best out of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on sections where grip was inconsistent. A stall on Saturday morning cost him around seven seconds, but the immediate threat behind eased on Sunday when team-mate Thierry Neuville, who started the day just 4.0sec adrift, incurred a 10-second penalty for a false start on SS18 and ultimately finished 23.1sec behind Tänak in third.
Despite missing out on the win, Tänak’s result was enough to overhaul Elfyn Evans and move into the lead of the drivers’ championship by a single point. Evans, who placed sixth, will at least benefit from not running first on the road on day one of the upcoming Secto Rally Finland.
Kalle Rovanperä showed improved pace in the damper conditions but was unable to mount a podium challenge. The two-time world champion and three-time Rally Estonia winner had to settle for fourth in another Toyota, finishing 7.3sec adrift of Neuville.
Adrien Fourmaux’s hopes of contending for top Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage points were dashed when his Hyundai nosedived after a jump, damaging the front aero. The Frenchman ended the rally in fifth, ahead of Evans.
Takamoto Katsuta had slipped behind Evans to eighth earlier in the day and was forced to retire his Toyota before the Power Stage due to a technical issue.
After grappling with intermittent power loss on Friday, Sami Pajari brought his Toyota home in seventh overall. The top 10 was rounded out by M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 youngsters Mārtinš Sesks, Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster.
The WRC’s European summer of speed continues in less than two weeks as the championship heads to Jyväskylä for round nine: Secto Rally Finland (31 July - 3 August).
Rally Classification:
1. O Solberg / E Edmondson SWE Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 2h 36m 35.1s
2. O Tänak / M Järveoja EST Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +25.2s
3. T Neuville / M Wydaeghe BEL Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +48.3s
4. K Rovanperä / J Halttunen FIN Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +55.6s
5. A Fourmaux / A Coria FRA Hyundai i20 N Rally1 +1m 33.0s
6. E Evans / S Martin GBR Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 +1m 43.4s
Drivers' Championship Standings (After round 8 of 14):
1. O Tänak 162 pts
2. E Evans 161 pts
3. S Ogier 141 pts
