Solberg is participating in a rally for the first time after a five-year hiatus, but his Volkswagen Polo R5 was already on fire during the spectator stage of the Swedish ERC Round on Thursday. Solberg recorded the tenth fastest time, trailing Hayden Paddon’s fastest time by 2.2 seconds. However, large flames were visible under the car during the special stage.
Solberg learned about the fire only at the finish of the stage and did not comment on the situation. Instead, he immediately started figuring out how to extinguish the fire. It is hoped that Solberg Senior’s race was not ruined right away.
Driving a Hyundai, Paddon set the fastest time, with a 0.3-second lead over another former WRC star, Mads Østberg.
“I tried to drive clean and neat. Surely, I could have been faster, but we got through. Tomorrow is a big day,” Paddon remarked.
Latvian driver Martins Sesks clocked the third fastest time on the 2.23-kilometre stage, hitting warning cones along the way. He was only one second off the lead.
“It was a bit slippery. I went a bit wide and hit some obstacles. I thought there was more space. Everything is fine, though,” Sesks said.
Fourth in the Thursday spectator stage was Romanian Simone Tempestini, ahead of Irishman Jon Armstrong and Norwegian Eyvind Brynildsen. Pre-race favourite Oliver Solberg unexpectedly found himself in eighth place, 2 seconds off the fastest time.
“I just drove neatly. It started raining right at the beginning, so I tried to play it safe. This evening’s stage doesn’t matter much. Tomorrow the real action starts. I’m confident,” Solberg asserted.
Mikko Heikkilä’s rally did not start in the best possible way. The Finnish driver was 4.3 seconds behind the lead on the short stage, which placed him 16th. The final “doughnut” spin was especially disappointing.
“I shouldn’t be so cautious. The main goal was to get through this stage. The doughnut wasn’t very successful. I hope you didn’t catch it on TV,” Heikkilä laughed.
Swedish ERC Round continues on Friday, with eight special stages on the schedule. The rally concludes on Saturday.
Royal Rally Scandinavia standings after SS1/17
1. Hayden Paddon Hyundai 1:45.6 2. Mads Østberg Citroen +0.3 3. Martins Sesks Toyota +1.0 4. Simone Tempestini Skoda +1.5 5. Jon Armstrong Ford +1.6 6. Eyvind Brynildsen VW +1.7 7. Andrea Mabellini Skoda +1.8 8. Oliver Solberg Skoda +2.0 8. J. Kristoffersson VW +2.0 10. Petter Solberg VW +2.2 16. Mikko Heikkilä Toyota +4.3
