How WRC rivals reacted to Oliver Solberg's first overall rally win

What Solberg’s peers thought of the Swede’s remarkable Rally Estonia win

Oliver Solberg has “definitely proven” he is ready to make the step up to the World Rally Championship’s top flight after his Rally Estonia win, according to 2019 world champion Ott Tanak.

Solberg’s sensational run to a maiden WRC Rally1 victory in Estonia has caused shockwaves in the world of rallying, with the achievement arriving on his debut driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 car - his first top-flight start since 2022.

Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson delivered a drive that has been hailed as ‘incredible’ given the pair only had two days of testing to gel with the car, before stepping up to the top class after receiving a call up from Toyota two weeks ago.

The victory came in only Solberg’s 13th Rally1 start, one fewer than what two-time world champion and youngest ever winner Kalle Rovnapera achieved when he took his first win in Estonia, 2021.

Solberg is now the third youngest winner in WRC history, having also claimed his first stage win in the process while winning nine of 20 in Estonia.

The success has proved immensely popular in the service park, given the hard work and dedication he’s shown to bounce back by competing in the WRC2 class, after losing a Rally1 drive with Hyundai in 2022. Social media has since lit up in the aftermath of the win with the success becoming WRC’s feel good story of the year to date.

“Fair play to him, he has definitely proven he’s ready for Rally1," Tanak told Motorsport.com. “Exactly [it is incredible]. In one way it was super demanding for every full-time driver but he was able to come in and immediately click with the car and enjoy the roads.

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Austral / Hyundai Motorsport

“Oliver, myself and Kalle have basically grown up competing on these roads but still for him to click so well with the car, it is very well played.”

Eight-time world champion and Toyota driver Sebastien Ogier, who Solberg reached out to for advice to help prepare for the rally, was among those to congratulate the 23-year-old on social media.

“What a performance, Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson. Very impressive. Well deserved, enjoy this special moment," posted Ogier, who will rejoin the WRC Rally1 ranks at Rally Finland in two weeks’ time.

Reigning world champion Thierry Neuville, who finished third behind Solberg, admitted it is highly unusual to see such a performance of this nature in the WRC.

“It was incredible. It is very rare. He has been confident from the first pass of shakedown so well done to him," Neuville, who was team-mates with Solberg during his difficult first spell in Rally1 at Hyundai in 2022, said.

“It is good to see and it is good for the WRC to have some new stories. It was probably not his last rally in a Rally1 car. The first win is always the most difficult but after, you want more.”

Thierry Neuville, Hyundai World Rally Team

Photo by: Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Three-time Rally Estonia winner Rovanpera, who finished a lonely fourth, added: “He had a really impressive pace and he did it fair and square and deserves the win. He definitely had that feeling where you just do it and everything comes to you.”

Meanwhile, M-Sport-Ford boss Richard Millener felt Solberg’s success was just a reward for his hard work and dedication to succeed in rallying.

“To lead after day one is something where it is easy to say he had a good road position, but to double the lead on day two and then keep the lead on day three is pretty damn incredible and really well deserved,” Millener told Motorsport.com.

“It is another fantastic story for the WRC. He is clearly a talent and you can’t take anything away from what he has put in to get to this position.

“It shows what is possible for young drivers but it takes a lot of hard work and determination which is what Oliver has done.

“It goes to show that Rally2 is a good feeder category into Rally1 and Toyota have done a fantastic job to prepare him for this rally.”