Rally Estonia produced a true shock result as Oliver Solberg clinched his first WRC rally win. It was his very first time competing in a Toyota Rally1 car – but he came, saw, and conquered.
Home hero Ott Tänak finished second and grabbed the lead in the championship standings after Toyota’s Elfyn Evans ended up sixth. The final podium place went to Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville.
Kalle Rovanperä was still struggling to find the right setup and couldn’t challenge for the win. He finished fourth overall, but managed to claw back nine valuable points on Super Sunday.
RallyJournal.com journalists Toni Heinonen and Ville Hirvonen have rated each Rally1 driver on a school-grade scale, with 10 being the highest and 4 the lowest score.
Toni Heinonen
Oliver Solberg 10+ (Result: 1st)
We’re going over the scale with the plus, but we have to. Expectations were high for Solberg’s Rally1 debut with Toyota, but even those predictions underestimated him. A truly stunning performance. He aimed high and overdelivered. Solberg’s sensational display leaves Toyota in a bizarre situation: the winner of the previous rally is “demoted” to a Rally2 car for the next round in Finland, even though he could clearly fight for top positions in the main class. Give the man a Rally1 car already!
Ott Tänak 9 (Result: 2nd)
Not a standout success, but he banked solid points and took over the championship lead. Tänak did everything he could in his Hyundai. This time, a rookie Toyota driver was just better. Still, the Estonian is on a good run. And after this result, he firmly establishes himself as the number one title favourite.
Thierry Neuville 8 (Result: 3rd)
Fought hard with teammate Tänak, but a jump start on Sunday morning and the resulting 10-second penalty sealed the deal. Still, the reigning champion once again showed he can perform on fast gravel. But in terms of the title fight, he desperately needs more big wins and big points.
Kalle Rovanperä 7½ (Result: 4th)
The struggles with the car and Hankook tyres continued. He lacked the pace to reach the very front – except on Sunday, when setup changes better suited the damp roads. His Power Stage win put a slightly positive spin on the weekend. He’s still in the title fight, but things need to turn around quickly for his dream to stay alive.
Adrien Fourmaux 7 (Result: 5th)
After early difficulties, he picked up the pace a little. A consistent but unremarkable performance. Acceptable for a team’s third driver, but he likely has more potential.
Elfyn Evans 7– (Result: 6th)
Lost the championship lead to Tänak as top pace was missing. He suffered from opening the road on Friday, but didn’t show much more speed even as his starting position improved. Evans now faces a serious challenge: how can he rediscover the brilliant form he showed early in the season?
Sami Pajari 6 (Result: 7th)
A disappointing weekend for Pajari. Friday brought technical issues, but an average stage ranking of eighth is not good – and it shows. The young Finn is still gaining experience, but it’s a bit embarrassing when Solberg, making his Rally1 debut in the same car, beats everyone – including Pajari by three minutes. If this pattern continues in Finland, concerns will start to grow.
Martins Sesks 5½ (Result: 8th)
Expectations were for at least a few flashes of speed like last summer. But there were none. While the Ford clearly lags behind Toyota and Hyundai in performance, Sesks can’t hide behind that excuse alone.
Josh McErlean 5 (Result: 9th)
Gained valuable experience. Credit for getting to the finish without major problems.
Grégoire Munster 5– (Result: 10th)
Could copy McErlean’s review word-for-word. Stayed on the road and reached the finish.
Takamoto Katsuta 6½ (Retired)
Retired before the Power Stage due to a mechanical issue, so hard to judge. Was in a close fight with Fourmaux for fifth. Probably has more in the tank, but couldn’t pull it out this time.
Ville Hirvonen
Oliver Solberg 10+
I’m speechless. A complete masterclass from the 23-year-old Swede. He floored it from the very first stage and kept building his lead. Tänak couldn’t catch him, Rovanperä couldn’t catch him, Neuville couldn’t catch him. One of the most impressive performances we’ve seen in a long time. Give this man a Toyota Rally1 seat for next season!
Ott Tänak 9
A solid drive. He held his nerve once he realised he couldn’t match Solberg’s pace. Consistent and clean throughout. With this result, he takes the lead in the drivers’ championship and becomes the clear favourite for the title.
Thierry Neuville 8
Also a good and controlled drive. Settled for third and bagged crucial points for the team. He likely knows he won’t be defending his title this year – so no need to overreach.
Kalle Rovanperä 7
A decent showing. Collected strong points and won the Power Stage. That was the maximum he could manage. At this point, it’s clear he can’t do much more. If Finland has its usual conditions, he may still miss out on that elusive home win – as RallyJournal.com predicted before the season.
Adrien Fourmaux 7
Hard to praise, but also hard to criticise. The Frenchman delivered an average weekend. His debut season with Hyundai is proving to be just as difficult as feared.
Elfyn Evans 6+
A tough weekend for the Welshman. Suffered as road sweeper. Improved pace on Sunday earns him a slight plus. However, his large early-season championship lead has now vanished. He needs to find solutions fast.
Sami Pajari 5
Expectations were high for Pajari on fast gravel, but nothing materialised. He simply completed the stages without ever pushing – not even in Sunday’s rain. Everyone understands he’s still learning, but he needs to start showing something soon. At least occasionally.
Martins Sesks 5
Remember all the hype around this guy last summer? Now, few seem to care. At least he beat his teammates – which was the bare minimum in this fast gravel rally.
Josh McErlean 5-
Was he really in the rally? Left virtually no impression with his driving.
Gregoire Munster 4+
Trailed both his teammates – which says it all. A small plus for keeping the Rally2 cars behind.
Takamoto Katsuta 6
Retired before the Power Stage due to a mechanical problem. Before that, he didn’t show anything particularly noteworthy. Feels like he’s stagnating. Nationality is a major reason he’s still in the top class, though to be fair, Katsuta remains the ultimate team player.
