Oliver Solberg will make his fourth World Rally Championship start in a Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC on next month’s Monza Rally, competing for 2C Competition.
Solberg stunned on his top-line debut back in February with seventh on Arctic Rally Finland but had a nightmare Safari Rally Kenya, damaging his suspension on the first day.
His latest start on Rally Spain was a steadier affair but Solberg equalled his best result of seventh overall and kept his nose clean after a bruising recent run of driver errors and mechanical misfortune.
“I’m excited to reveal we’ll be competing at Monza Rally in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC,” Solberg wrote on social media.
“[It’s] awesome to get to drive this car on its final event – and on a rally where I have some experience after finishing second in WRC2 and seventh overall last year.”
Solberg’s co-driver for the event is however yet to be confirmed. Craig Drew stepped in for both Rally Finland and Rally Spain after Aaron Johnston and Solberg parted ways after the Acropolis Rally.
Johnston has gone onto partner Takamoto Katsuta after Keaton Williams – who was deputizing for the injured Daniel Barritt – was forced out for personal reasons.
There is however no confirmation that Johnston will remain with Katsuta for Monza either, with Gus Greensmith searching for a new navigator as Chris Patterson retired from professional competition after Spain. Johnston’s name has been one of those linked.
It’s also currently unclear whether Solberg will be running as part of a one or two car 2C effort at next month’s WRC finale.
Regular driver Pierre-Louis Loubet has been ruled out of the rest of the season through injury, and his entry was therefore taken over by Nil Solans for Rally Spain.
Teemu Suninen made his Hyundai debut on Rally Spain in the i20 N Rally2 and claimed second in WRC2. There has been some speculation that he might step into a WRC car for Monza.
Asked if he would be present at Monza during Rally Spain, Suninen grinned: “I think so for the moment, of course everything can change.
“I wish with Hyundai. I need to chat with the boss and see what’s going on.”
