He will certainly be one of the men to watch this season in WRCHaving moved from WRC2, a championship he won last year ahead of Yohan Rossel, Oliver Solberg is a full-time driver this season with Toyota to drive the GR Yaris Rally1. A car he knows well, having tested it thoroughly in recent days on the sidelines of the Monte Carlo Rally, and having also participated in the event. Rally Oliver Solberg, who won the Rallye d'Estonie in December, caused a stir last year by taking the title. His new boss, Jari-Matti Latvala, is full of praise for him and quite clear about what he expects from his protégé: "I am absolutely certain he will win more victories this year," he recently told our colleagues at DirtFish. Is this a show of force or a vision for the future? We'll undoubtedly find out next week.
Latvala believes Solberg can compete for the title by 2027
Regarding Oliver Solberg, Latvala indicated that he would need to compete in at least one full Rally1 season before he could hope to challenge for the title, also noting that he could be ready for 2027, the year the WRC will enter a new regulatory era with cars less powerful than the current Rally1 vehicles. This also speaks volumes about Toyota's rally plans, which will be renamed Gazoo Racing next year: Oliver Solberg didn't join the team simply to make up the numbers, but rather to prepare for the future. Indeed, Toyota is currently developing a car that will meet the specifications of the 2027 regulations, even though these regulations allow manufacturers to enter Rally2 cars. While the new cars will have some similarities with these same Rally2 cars, it is highly likely that Oliver Solberg's experience will speak for itself: the Swede, as a reminder, spent 3 full seasons in the WRC feeder series before this promotion.
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