The young Swede was given a rare opportunity to step into a Toyota Rally1 car for the first time – and it came on the ultra-fast gravel stages of Estonia.
While many expected Solberg to deliver a solid performance, no one truly predicted a win. Probably not even Solberg himself.
But a win is exactly what he got. Solberg dominated the rally from start to finish, putting the Solberg name back on the list of WRC winners for the first time since 2005, when his father, Petter Solberg, claimed his final victory.
Toyota’s deputy team principal, Juha Kankkunen, admitted openly in Estonia that he hadn’t expected such a performance.
“I have to admit, I wasn’t completely sure,” Kankkunen laughed in an interview with RallyJournal.com.
“Before the rally, I thought he might have a shot at a top-five finish. But he did even better. That’s what happens when everything clicks. The boy is young, humble, and talented. When he drives selflessly, the results follow,” Kankkunen continued.
Kankkunen himself won 23 WRC rallies during his career. But every career must start with a first win.
“I won my first rally once too – and no one believed it back then either,” Kankkunen said with a grin.
Solberg took control of the rally from Friday morning. Stage wins started piling up. That’s when Kankkunen’s expectations began to shift.
“That first day already showed that a win was possible. Sure, he had a favourable starting position on a clean road, but when you looked at the driving, it felt like he wasn’t far off. At that point, it already looked like a podium was likely – as long as he kept the wheels on the ground,” Kankkunen explained.
“Every morning I told him, ‘Keep the wheels pointed at the ground, and this will turn out just fine,’” Kankkunen added.
And it certainly did turn out well. In Estonia, Solberg made it abundantly clear that his skills belong at the top level. However, Rally Finland presents a somewhat absurd situation: the most recent WRC event winner will be back in a Toyota Rally2 car. Still, the burning question remains – will we see Solberg in a Rally1 car again this season?
“This season is a bit difficult in terms of available rallies. Oliver’s main goal is definitely to win the WRC2 championship. That’s what Toyota wants, and that’s what he’s focusing on,” Kankkunen said.
“But like I said before, he still has many years ahead of him. I don’t think his time in Rally1 is over for this year,” he concluded.
