It is already clear that there will be one major change within the Toyota squad. Earlier this month, Kalle Rovanperä announced that he will step away from the World Rally Championship at the end of the current season and make a switch to single-seaters. Next year, Rovanperä will compete in Japan’s Super Formula series with Toyota’s support.
This means Toyota will have to recruit a new driver to replace the Finnish star. The strongest candidate for the seat is Oliver Solberg, who made a sensational debut at the wheel of Toyota’s Rally1 car during the summer.
Solberg got his chance at Rally Estonia in July and claimed his first-ever World Rally Championship victory. In other events this season, Solberg has impressed at the wheel of Toyota’s Rally2 car – he was crowned WRC2 champion after Rally Chile.
If eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier had the final say, Solberg would be offered a full-season drive with Toyota next year.
“Well I believe Oliver deserved a chance for sure in this sport, with what he has proved so far, a chance at top level,” Ogier told DirtFish.
“He has been doing a couple of rallies, but what he has done this year in this one shot was pretty impressive. Yeah, I believe he deserved an opportunity, but I’m not in charge of making contracts for Toyota Gazoo Racing!”
Solberg previously competed in the top class with Hyundai in 2021 and 2022. At the end of the 2022 season he was dropped by Hyundai, after which he has rebuilt his career in the WRC2 category.
This year, Solberg moved to Toyota’s Rally2 car – a change that has clearly paid off. Now he is on the verge of securing his first full-time drive in the top tier of the World Rally Championship.
Toyota is expected to announce its 2026 driver line-up after Rally Japan, which takes place from 6–9 November.
