Oliver Solberg is on his way towards the top of the WRC standings. Second place in Rally Estonia gave the rally star ten extra points when it was decided on Sunday. “I’m very happy and relieved,” he says.
Sami Pajari was impossible to stop in Estonia. The Finnish Toyota driver won the first nine stages in a row and eventually took his first victory in the WRC.
Behind him, Oliver Solberg chose a different approach. Instead of chasing and risking everything, the Swede settled for second place, worked on the car’s setup and looked for the feeling that had been missing on Friday.
It turned out to be exactly the right tactic.
Maximum points when it mattered most
In the WRC, drivers get extra points for Sunday’s final stages. There, Oliver Solberg was the fastest of all, both times the stage was run, and picked up the maximum ten points.
In total, he dropped just a single point to winner Pajari over the entire weekend. At the same time, he closed the gap to every driver ahead of him in the WRC standings.
“It was a good weekend and an important weekend to find the feeling in the car again,” says Oliver Solberg after the finish.
“Sami has done a really good job. For me personally, this was an important weekend to come back mentally.”
Katsuta’s nightmare – retired after the hits
Rally Estonia was run on fast gravel roads that got better and better for each car. The start order therefore decided a lot, and the drama was further down the field.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans, who opened the road on Friday, was the one who moved up the most. Much worse went for Takamoto Katsuta. The Japanese driver suffered a tyre blowout early on, was later forced to retire after another puncture, and left Estonia with just one point.
The battle for third became an internal fight at Hyundai, where Adrian Fourmaux eventually held off Thierry Neuville.
Next duel already in two weeks
Estonia has become the place where Toyota’s young talents take their first victories. Kalle Rovanperä has done it, Oliver Solberg did it last year, and now it was Pajari’s turn.
In two weeks, Rally Finland awaits, with the same recipe: high speeds, big jumps and soft corners. A new close duel between Pajari and Solberg looks likely.
In the WRC standings, Oliver Solberg remains in fifth place, 47 points behind leader Evans, while Pajari climbed past Sébastien Ogier.
WRC standings after 8 of 14 rounds
- Elfyn Evans 177
- Takamoto Katsuta 152
- Sami Pajari 144
- Sébastien Ogier 139
- Oliver Solberg 130
- Thierry Neuville 111
- Adrian Fourmaux 111
Upcoming rounds:
30 July–2 August: Rally Finland
27–30 August: Paraguay
10–13 September: Chile
Results and times are available at wrc.com. Broadcasts via Rally.tv.
