Solberg’s rally in Paraguay got off to a dreadful start on Friday when the Swede suffered a puncture right at the beginning and dropped to 10th place in WRC2, more than a minute behind the leader.
However, Solberg, who leads the WRC2 standings, did not let such a setback get him down and began a furious charge back towards the front.
On Friday, he fired in five consecutive stage wins in his class. On Saturday, he was even more dominant: seven fastest times in a row, climbing from nearly a minute down to second place in WRC2 and right into the fight for victory.
Solberg completed his comeback on Sunday, clinching the class win. The top spot was balm for Solberg’s wounds after the bitter disappointment he had suffered in Rally Finland.
At the finish, Solberg was over the moon. He delivered quite the hymn of praise for the first-ever Rally Paraguay.
“First of all, this rally with the fans, the atmosphere, and the passion that the country has for rallying is the best I’ve ever experienced in my life. They’ve been so welcoming, friendly, and wonderful. So – first of all, a big, big thank you to the country, and also a big, big thank you to the organisers for creating such a unique, fantastic, beautiful rally,” Solberg began.
“I think it’s been one of the most unique rallies on the calendar. Really, really, really good,” he continued.
This season Solberg has already celebrated victory in a top-class event in Estonia in July, and once again he had reason to celebrate. At first, Solberg was reluctant to reveal any plans.
“That’s tomorrow’s problem,” he laughed, but eventually agreed to share a little:
“We’re actually going with the family to Patagonia. We’ll go to the glacier, maybe ride horses, I don’t know – try to enjoy it a little bit. So let’s see,” he said.
French Citroën driver Yohan Rossel finished second in WRC2 in Paraguay. Nikolay Gryazin eventually climbed to third, after Estonia’s Robert Virves suffered a puncture on Sunday, dropping to fifth and out of the podium places. Solberg’s main goal for the season remains firmly on track, as he continues to lead the WRC2 standings.
