How often can you say that a driver not starting a round of the World Rally Championship is still such a focus of it?
Not very often.
But Oliver Solberg is that man this week as the WRC2 resumes in Greece.
Skipping the Acropolis in favor of a trip to Chile where he’ll record his final of seven scores on the 2024 board, Solberg’s name will top the championship standings regardless of what happens this weekend.
Solberg's next event is Chile, which he won last year, but Pajari (third) won't be there
The 22-year-old Swede is in the luxurious position of being able to control his own destiny. Win in South America and the WRC2 title is his.
While Nikolay Gryazin still has an outside shot at glory with four rounds left and four scores left to record, realistically Sami Pajari (Toyota) and Yohan Rossel (Citroën) are the only two who can deny Škoda-mounted Solberg.
Both are on the entry list for the Acropolis, so make no bones about it: both must win if they want to have any chance of claiming the championship.
As it stands, Pajari is 12 points up the road on Rossel but still 28 shy of Solberg – albeit with two events (including Greece) left to score on. Rossel meanwhile still has three opportunities (including Greece) to score, but currently must subtract 10 points from his total with a fifth-place in Portugal acting as his dropped score.
After his Rally1 sojourn, Pajari returns to his more familiar GR Yaris Rally2 this week
To cut through the noise, although Pajari can close to within three points of Solberg with victory in Greece, he is not in control of his own destiny as he hasn’t entered Rally Chile.
Pajari could still win the championship if Solberg’s event doesn’t go to plan in Chile, but that’s not something the Finn can influence.
Rossel, though, has entered Chile, ultimately making him Solberg’s biggest threat. But it all hinges on winning in Greece.
If he does, he would close to 15 points behind Solberg and would have the chance to stop the Swede from winning in Chile. If Rossel then won his final event (likely CER), then he would steal the title from under Solberg’s nose.
So while the WRC2 title can’t be won in Greece, the result this week should give us a good idea of how it will all ultimately shake out for what could well be a decisive weekend next time out in Chile.
