Leading WRC3 driver Oliver Solberg is hoping to contest the remainder of this year’s European Rally Championship in search of a maiden FIA title.
While the 18-year-old’s ambitions remain firmly in the World Rally Championship, a win and a third place from the first two ERC rounds have placed him in a solid position for this season’s coronavirus-interrupted European title.
Solberg said: “The plan is to do the rest of the ERC to try to be champion and also in the juniors. It’s gone well so far so I have to continue.”
The teenager, who will drive his family run Volkswagen Polo R5, scored third place on his full asphalt debut at Rally di Roma in July before a dominant display and start-to-finish win at Rally Liepāja in Latvia last month.
Solberg’s next ERC outing will be next month’s hastily arranged Rally Fafe Montelongo, a last-minute replacement for the Azores Rally – the latest ERC round to be cancelled due to coronavirus.
He sits second in the ERC title race, four points down on Alexey Lukyanuk, but two wins in ERC 1 Junior means he’s already 31 points ahead in that race. The prize for ERC 1 Junior champion has still to be announced by the series organisers.
Solberg has already won more ERC rallies – and stages – than outgoing champion Chris Ingram, who demonstrated consistency to lift the 2019 title without winning a rally and only scored four fastest stage times through the year.
