“Hats off Oliver Solberg and to your copilot. Petter, you can really be proud.”
They’re words good enough to send shivers down your spin – and that’s before you factor in the context.
The day in question was back in 2018. It was Oliver Solberg’s first time testing on Tarmac at the ripe old age of 16.
His dad, Petter, knew he could teach him a thing or two, but he equally knew who the king of Tarmac was back in his World Rally Championship heyday.
Step forward Sébastien Loeb.
That day in France, Loeb spent time alongside Oliver in his Peugeot 208 R2 and shared his pearls of wisdom.
Eight years later, just minutes after Oliver won the Monte Carlo Rally, Loeb posted a picture remembering that day. And shared those fantastic words.
A clearly moved Solberg reflected: “It’s when you look at the roster of the people who’s maybe won [this rally] in the last 20 years, you know, it’s only four people or something. And Loeb sent me a long, fantastic message and that means a lot.”
As did the victory itself.
Starting his first full season in a Rally1 car, Solberg didn’t have much to prove after that stunning victory in Estonia last year. But nobody expected another victory to come so soon. Not here, on a rally dominated by Sébastien Ogier in this era.
“I don’t know what to say,” Solberg said. “It’s just a dream come true. Well, it wasn’t a dream really because I never thought it was possible! My dream was top five, top three or something like that, and then ending up right here as a winner of the most difficult rally ever and the most historic rally ever, it’s just… phwoar, mind-blowing.
“The expectations was to have fun, you know, do my rhythm, drive as good as I could, and I had a great feeling in the car,” the 24-year-old added. “The team has been so helpful and great to make me comfortable once again, like in Estonia.
Solberg took the lead on SS2 of the Monte and never looked back
“And then I just thought… it’s the first time I kind of raced against Ogier and Monte Carlo and all this, and I thought ‘OK, let’s see where I can pace myself, what’s possible’. And then after Thursday, I was like, ‘OK, possible’. Friday, ‘OK’.
“And yesterday I was stressed like crazy, you know, and this morning. But powerstage I was calm and I could focus again, so it was good.”
Good is the understatement of the century.
Solberg has a 100% win record in two starts with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 – matching only Marcus Grönholm who won his first two rallies with Ford in 2006 – and leads the championship by four points over team-mate Elfyn Evans.
It’s the first time a Solberg has led the WRC since Rally New Zealand 2005 and Oliver has also become the youngest ever winner of the WRC’s oldest event.
That’s got to be considered great at the very, very least.
