He’s Mr 100% with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 in the World Rally Championship, but Oliver Solberg would be happy with just a podium at his home event in Sweden.
There is no panic to try and win this weekend, he says.
Solberg leads the world championship for the first time courtesy of a standout victory at the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally; his second victory in as many starts with Toyota’s factory squad.
That naturally raises expectations as Solberg begins his home round of the championship – a rally he’s won for the last three years in WRC2.
But the 24-year-old is “realistic” about what’s possible in 2026 considering he’s running as first on the road; something he’s never done before in the WRC.
Solberg's form is strong, but can he win from first on the road like Evans did last year?
“There’s still a lot to learn, you know,” Solberg told DirtFish. “I mean, first time with the car on snow, first time doing first on the road, so I think it’s a lot of things I still need to adapt a little bit to.
“And, yeah, as I said before to many people here that I don’t want to panic to try to win, you know. And I said to you also at recce: the goal is to have a consistent result, and I’ll be very happy with the podium.”
Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala acknowledged Solberg is in “top form” and feels “very confident”, but said second pass conditions on Friday could define his weekend.
“I think the first passage on Friday is going to be fine, but the question is how he managed the second loop on Friday when there’s narrow lines and he has to tackle that with the grip level changes,” Latvala told DirtFish.
“If he can manage that, that’s the element that then he can fight for the victory. But if you are losing a lot of time and, you know, making a little mistake on that position, then it can be tricky. He has no experience yet being, let’s say, opening the road in the World Rally Championship, so it’s something we will see how he will manage it.
“But I can tell you that from the motivation point of view and from the speed-wise point of view, it’s not a question. But how you manage that you will see, because it’s something you need to experience.
“But at the same time, you know that Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta, they also want to win this event very much.”
When Latvala’s comments were put to Solberg, the Swede said the solution is to have a “big window in the car”.
He explained: “It’s like I’ve always said: have a progressive, easy car to drive and try to be as consistent as you can every stage and try to not do mistakes. I think that’s the key.
“In the driving, it’s difficult to do much more from that position, but if you can keep clean at least and be there and thereabouts after Friday and then push Saturday, Sunday, I think that’s fully possible.”
There hasn’t been a Swedish winner of Rally Sweden since Kenneth Eriksson won for Subaru 29 years ago, in 1997. Solberg, however, doesn’t feel any extra pressure.
“No, I don’t really,” he confirmed. “I put a lot of pressure and expectation on myself, but right now, I’m actually quite realistic. So, I don’t really think of it too much because, as I said, when I look at the pictures, when I look at the information I got, there is too much snow on the first two stages.
“So why panic about it? There’s nothing I can do.”
