Taking the wheel of Toyota’s Rally1 car for the first time, Solberg caused a huge sensation by winning Rally Estonia. But just a couple of weeks later, Solberg’s mood had dramatically changed.
During Rally Finland, Solberg returned to his “day job” – competing for the WRC2 title. Naturally, Solberg was the top favourite in his class, but this time nothing went according to plan.
Solberg crashed heavily already on Friday, losing any chance of achieving a top result.
“I think it was a bit of bad luck on Friday. What happened… and after that, it’s just been about doing a little bit better — no wipers saturday — and then, yeah, just trying to use every stage to get back into the feeling again,” Solberg said after Rally Finland.
Still, Solberg remained calm about the situation.
“So that’s how it goes sometimes. It’s been a great run up until now — four wins in a row,” Solberg reminded.
In Finland, Solberg found himself in a thankless position. The Swede had to switch rather abruptly from a Rally1 car to a Rally2 car – and that proved to be a difficult task.
“I think it’s humbling and a learning experience. We didn’t have very good preparation — not a lot of preparation at all,” said Solberg.
“I think that’s a big part of it. Even if it’s WRC2 or whatever you’re doing, you need to prepare 100%. And, you know, the last two weeks I’ve been in full rally mode. I think going back to Rally2 definitely also needs good preparation,” Solberg reflected.
Within a fortnight, Solberg had to process some very different emotions. He wants to make the most of that process too.
“We’ve had very good discussions with the team and also myself — you know, thinking about what we can learn, what we can do better. And definitely, it’s an ongoing discussion. But for now, that’s just life,” Solberg considered.
