WRC
Oliver Solberg incredulous after his Monte Carlo victory
© Damien Saulnier / DPPI
At just 24 years old, Oliver Solberg joins the exclusive circle of winners of the Rally Monte Carlo, after an emotionally charged 94th edition marked by particularly challenging weather conditions, continued its run this Sunday, with four special stages contested in ever-changing conditions that severely tested the nerves of the various crews.
Leading by a minute at the start of this "Super Sunday," Solberg managed to remain calm, but two mistakes in SS15 and 16 highlighted the importance of the event and the victory he was about to claim. On the second run through the Turini, which also served as the Power Stage, the Swedish driver didn't falter, finishing behind Elfyn Evans but winning the rally by 51,8 seconds. This maintains his 100% win rate with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, a statistic that Petter Solberg's son couldn't believe.
« I don't understand what's happening, I think! It's been a very emotional day.he explained to Rally.tv. "It was the toughest rally of my life, and it's my first rally with the car on tarmac and we won, it's fantastic." before adding, speaking to Canal+ "I don't know how I did it [to win]."
After a difficult year in 2022 at Hyundai In Rally1, Solberg stepped down a level before winning the WRC2 world championship title in 2025. These years allowed him to mature, gain experience, and caught the eye of Toyota, who decided to recruit him for a victorious one-off appearance in Estonia last year, and for a full 2026 season which is off to a flying start.
« I was so stressed all weekend, I really want to thank Toyota for the confidence they've placed in me. I'm delighted to have been able to repay them with a victory.
Solberg can now focus on his home rally, the Rally Sweden, which he will approach for the first time in his career as the leader of the world championship. WRCAnd given its performance on snow this weekend, the 100% win rate with the GR Yaris Rally1 could well continue…
ALSO READ > Oliver Solberg wins the Monte Carlo Rally and becomes the youngest winner of the event in WRC
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Santos Lemos
27/01/2026 at 02:26 a.m.
Parabens at Toyota, a brand that but growing at world level. Simply fabulous.
CHRISTOPHE
26/01/2026 at 06:55 a.m.
2027 but especially 2028 will be exciting in WRC, guys like Rossel could win victories in the world championship.
Alain Féguenne (🇱🇺 Luxembourg)
25/01/2026 at 10:10 a.m.
Oliver Solberg, simply... Magnificent 👍. 😎Toyota/triple 👏
Yves-Henri RANDIER
25/01/2026 at 04:27 a.m.
Hats off to Solberg Junior, but also to Toyota, who have already achieved a 1-2-3 finish in typical "Monte Carlo" conditions. A superb start to the 2026 season for the Japanese, while things are looking rather bleak for the Koreans at Hyundai!
Hilton Leon
25/01/2026 at 03:10 a.m.
Finally, some news in rallying! Bravo to him. And also to Roussel. Especially since, for once, it was a REAL Monte Carlo Rally with snow, ice, and mud.