logo
Solberg wins maiden WRC title in Estonia

Solberg wins maiden WRC title in Estonia

TimesLIVE20-07-2025
Sweden's Oliver Solberg claimed a stunning maiden World Rally Championship (WRC) victory at Rally Estonia on Sunday, nearly 20 years after his father Petter Solberg won the last of his 13 WRC races.
The win marked Toyota's 100th in the WRC. Solberg extended his lead with composure to seal a 25.2 second win over home favourite and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak and the Estonian's Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville finished third.
On his debut in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the 23-year-old Solberg and Briton co-driver Elliott Edmondson were drafted in for a one-off drive a few weeks prior to the rally and had only two days of testing.
"After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and Elliott finally made it," Solberg said.
"I just want to say thank you to Toyota, to the test team who helped me get so comfortable, for all the help this weekend from this beautiful, beautiful team. I've never had such a good time in my life."
Solberg got off to a flying start, winning Friday's opening stage and taking a lead he did not relinquish all weekend. He carried a 21.1-second overnight lead into Sunday's final three stages, where he emerged untroubled by the tricky grip in slick, damp conditions.
Hyundai's Tanak battled inconsistent grip and Neuville, who started the day four seconds behind, was handed a 10-second penalty for a false start on special stage 18 and finished 23.1 seconds back in third.
However, Tanak snatched the championship lead from Toyota's Elfyn Evans by a single point, with the Briton managing a sixth place finish in Estonia.
Toyota, who have won every rally so far this year except for Greece, also tightened their grip on the manufacturers' race with 399 points to Hyundai's 347.
Solberg's father Petter, who represented Norway, won 13 WRC races from 2002 to 2005.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Norris fastest in second Hungarian GP practice, Piastri second
Norris fastest in second Hungarian GP practice, Piastri second

TimesLIVE

time16 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Norris fastest in second Hungarian GP practice, Piastri second

Lando Norris completed a Hungarian Grand Prix practice double on Friday as runaway leaders McLaren dominated both sessions while leaving something in reserve and almost colliding at the end. Norris was top of the time sheets in both sessions at the Hungaroring outside Budapest, with Formula One leader Oscar Piastri second and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc emerging as McLaren's closest rival. The Briton was 0.019 of a second faster than teammate Piastri, who has a 16-point lead after 13 of 24 races, in first practice and 0.291 quicker in the late afternoon when he set a best lap of 1:15.624 seconds. At the end of the session, with the chequered flag already waved, Norris locked up coming out of the pits for a practice start as Piastri, winner in Belgium last weekend, went around the outside at turn one. Norris was on pole at the circuit last year in a race won by Piastri, his first victory in F1. Leclerc was third fastest in both sessions, with Racing Bulls' French rookie Isack Hadjar fourth in the opening one but Aston Martin coming on strong in the second with Lance Stroll fourth and Fernando Alonso fifth. Double world champion Alonso had missed practice one due to back pain, with Brazilian reserve Felipe Drugovich standing in for him. Lewis Hamilton, winner a record eight times in Hungary with McLaren and Mercedes, was fifth and sixth on his return with Ferrari. Mercedes's form looked more encouraging than at the last race in Belgium, with George Russell ending the day seventh, after earlier complaining about his car's balance, and Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli 10th. Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen was ninth and 14th respectively in the sessions, with Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda 17th and ninth. 'I don't know what's going on. It's just undriveable, I can't get any balance,' said Verstappen over the team radio at one point in the late afternoon. Verstappen was summoned to the stewards for a bizarre incident in which the four-time world champion threw what appeared to be a rag out of the car's cockpit while on track at turn three. Estonian Paul Aron took Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber for the opening session and was last after having to stop before the midpoint of the session due to a technical problem. Hulkenberg was 12th on his return.

Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian GP practice
Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian GP practice

TimesLIVE

time17 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian GP practice

Lando Norris lapped 0.019 of a second quicker than Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri as the McLaren pair finished one-two in first practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday. Norris, 16 points behind his Australian teammate going into the last race before the August break, lapped the Hungaroring with a best time of 1:16.052 seconds with the soft tyres on a sunny afternoon. The Briton was on pole at the circuit last year in a race won by Piastri, his first victory in F1. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third fastest, 0.217 off the pace, with Racing Bulls' French rookie Isack Hadjar in fourth. Lewis Hamilton, winner a record eight times in Hungary, was fifth for Ferrari and suffered a big lock-up as he wrestled with the car. Oliver Bearman was sixth for Haas, ahead of Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell with Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen ninth and Lance Stroll completing the top 10 for Aston Martin. Russell complained about his car's balance and said it was hard to turn. Verstappen's Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda was only 17th. Brazilian Felipe Drugovich stood in for Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin, with the Spaniard suffering from back pain, and was 16th fastest. Estonian Paul Aron also took Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber for the session and was last after having to stop before the midpoint of the session due to a technical problem.

Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian practice
Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian practice

TimesLIVE

time21 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Norris leads McLaren one-two in first Hungarian practice

Lando Norris lapped 0.019 of a second quicker than Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri as the McLaren pair finished one-two in first practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday. Norris, 16 points behind his Australian teammate going into the last race before the August break, lapped the Hungaroring with a best time of 1:16.052 seconds with the soft tyres on a sunny afternoon. The Briton was on pole at the circuit last year in a race won by Piastri, his first victory in F1. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third fastest, 0.217 off the pace, with Racing Bulls' French rookie Isack Hadjar in fourth. Lewis Hamilton, winner a record eight times in Hungary, was fifth for Ferrari and suffered a big lock-up as he wrestled with the car. Oliver Bearman was sixth for Haas, ahead of Mercedes pair Kimi Antonelli and George Russell with Red Bull's reigning champion Max Verstappen ninth and Lance Stroll completing the top 10 for Aston Martin. Russell complained about his car's balance and said it was hard to turn. Verstappen's Japanese teammate Yuki Tsunoda was only 17th. Brazilian Felipe Drugovich stood in for Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin, with the Spaniard suffering from back pain, and was 16th fastest. Estonian Paul Aron also took Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber for the session and was last after having to stop before the midpoint of the session due to a technical problem.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store