Sweden’s Oliver Solberg returned to the wheel of a Rally1 car for the first time in three years – and certainly didn’t go unnoticed. Solberg leads Rally Estonia by 12.4 seconds ahead of the local favourite Ott Tänak.
Juha Kankkunen, who is acting as Toyota’s team principal for the event, was surprised by the 23-year-old Swede’s pace.
“Let’s say I’m surprised, but he was probably a bit surprised himself too, seeing how well it’s going. Oliver has driven a lot and apparently won this rally a couple of times before,” Kankkunen told RallyJournal.com.
“He had a clean day, and as he said himself, the starting position helped a lot. He got to drive on a clean line – and he’ll have that advantage tomorrow as well. All our boys will be in a bit better shape for that tomorrow too.”
Solberg competed in the WRC with Hyundai’s Rally1 car during the 2021–22 seasons. However, the stint proved difficult, and he had to spend several years gaining experience in the lower class. Now, that patience is paying off.
“When Oliver drove Hyundai’s Rally1 car, he was still very inexperienced. Now after a couple of years in Rally2, he’s gained enough experience – he’s no rookie anymore,” Kankkunen said with a laugh.
“This isn’t a world-shaking surprise, but I am surprised that he came in and drove with such determination.”
