Monte Carlo Rally winner Oliver Solberg reckons Croatia Rally can be “a little bit like a ‘clean’ Monte Carlo” as he prepares to take on his first pure asphalt rally in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 next week.
Solberg entered 2026 with a one-from-one record in the GR Yaris Rally1, having won on debut in Estonia last year. Few expected him to make it two from two in the French Alps, given his limited running in the car on Tarmac, let alone the challenging conditions thrown up on the season opener.
But win it the WRC2 champion did, marking himself out as a genuine title contender on his return to the top flight. He’s yet to get back on the podium since, but arrives in Croatia second in the standings, eight points shy of team-mate Elfyn Evans.
“Before you start your first season, you’re always a bit unsure of how you’re going to do,” said Solberg. “And obviously Tarmac, I hadn’t tried the car before the season, so I was a bit unsure.
“But when you have that feeling in Monte Carlo, and completely different conditions of course, but already some good feeling on the Tarmac, definitely gave you confidence to know that you can fight on every surface; you can win on every surface and have the speed.”
It’s not a straightforward, flat-out Tarmac rally.Oliver Solberg
Croatia Rally is unlikely to feature the snow and ice that are hallmarks of the Monte – although Toyota did experience some of the white stuff on its pre-event test.
In its short WRC history, the event on the edge of the Balkans has quickly earned a reputation for its challenging surface with constantly changing levels of grip. Dirt dragged onto the road from cuts and a high chance of wet weather in April only exacerbate the variation.
A change in location, with the rally moving from its previous Zagreb base to the port of Rijeka this year, adds more unknowns into the equation.
“It’s a really tricky rally,” said Solberg. “It can be quite slippery, quite dirty. Again, a lot of cuts. It’s a little bit like a ‘clean’ Monte Carlo, in a way, depending on the conditions.
“We are in a brand new part of the country now, with some very, very new stages, so I think it can be quite different from other years. But still, it can be a big challenge. It’s not a straightforward, flat-out Tarmac rally.”
A bit like the Monte. Which Solberg led all the way from SS2.
Solberg last contested Croatia Rally in 2023 when he finished 10th overall in Rally2 Škoda
The 24-year-old has won more stages (14) than anyone else this year, and spent more time in the lead of rallies (29 stages) than everyone else put together (24). The raw statistics suggest Solberg is unfortunate not to be leading the championship. On the flip side, he could have ended up a lot worse off than he is.
Hampered by opening the road in Sweden, Solberg kept his points tally ticking over by finishing fourth overall and adding five bonus markers on Super Sunday. He then led the majority of Safari Rally Kenya before being forced to retire on Saturday afternoon with alternator failure. A full house of 10 Sunday points – plus 10th overall – minimized the damage and leaves him bullish heading into back-to-back asphalt events.
He said: “We fought back strong in Kenya. We had a great performance between the consistency of driving clean, as well as pushing really hard on the Super Sunday to get maximum points.
“For sure, I feel we probably deserved that win, which could have put us in a great position for the championship. But at least that gives you confidence that you’re back in the fight.
“We are still in a great position in the championship; feeling is good in the car, in the team. So for sure, it’s much easier to come back from it when you had such a strong Super Sunday too.
“I think it makes it much easier to fight back here in Croatia.”
