- Oliver Solberg claims first career WRC victory in debut outing for Toyota
- Beats Tänak by over 25 seconds to deliver Toyota’s 100th WRC win
- Tänak takes championship lead as Neuville penalised and Evans slips back
Oliver Solberg fulfilled a lifelong dream on Sunday, storming to his first FIA World Rally Championship victory at Delfi Rally Estonia and following in the footsteps of his world champion father, Petter Solberg.
Just 23 years old and competing in his first top-level rally since 2022, Solberg delivered a commanding performance across the high-speed gravel stages of southern Estonia. Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 for the first time, he won the opening stage on Friday and was never headed, controlling the event from start to finish.
“It’s been the most amazing weekend,” Solberg said after stepping off the top step of the podium. “I’m feeling so overwhelmingly happy, after so many years of dreaming and working for this moment. I want to say a big thank you to Toyota for giving me this opportunity and the chance to prove myself and have fun driving this amazing car.”
With co-driver Elliott Edmondson alongside, Solberg added: “Thank you to the test team who helped me get so comfortable. I also never thought I’d get to celebrate on a podium with Juha, who has been a hero of mine since I was a kid and one I’ve been looking up to together with my father. Now this weekend he has been supporting me so well, keeping me calm and telling me what to do. I’ve never had such a good time in my life, so thank you.”
Solberg’s composed drive brought Toyota its 100th WRC win and made him the youngest WRC event winner since Kalle Rovanperä. He finished 25.2 seconds ahead of local hero Ott Tänak, who now leads the drivers’ championship by a single point.
Tänak, the 2019 world champion, struggled at times to get the best from his Hyundai on the slick, unpredictable surfaces. A stall on Saturday morning cost him vital seconds, and his closest challenger, Thierry Neuville, fell away on Sunday after receiving a 10-second penalty for a false start on SS18. Neuville still secured third, 23.1 seconds behind his team-mate.
Despite missing out on victory, Tänak’s second-place finish was enough to displace Elfyn Evans from the top of the championship standings. Evans could manage only sixth and will now benefit from a better road position heading into Secto Rally Finland.
Rovanperä found improved pace as the conditions grew damper but never looked a serious threat for the podium. The reigning champion, who has won in Estonia three times, placed fourth, 7.3 seconds behind Neuville.
Adrien Fourmaux ran into trouble chasing stage points on Sunday when his Hyundai landed hard after a jump, damaging the front aero and compromising his pace. He ended the event in fifth.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta had slipped behind Evans into eighth before he was forced to retire prior to the Power Stage with a technical issue. That allowed Sami Pajari, who overcame power loss on Friday, to bring his car home in seventh.
The final top-ten positions were filled by M-Sport’s younger Puma Rally1 drivers: Mārtinš Sesks, Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster.
As the dust settles in Estonia, the WRC heads straight into its next challenge in Finland, where the battle for the title resumes. For now, though, it’s Solberg who stands in the spotlight — a first-time winner with the name, the speed, and now, the silverware.
