Oliver Solberg has admitted he will consider a strategic approach to next year’s Monte Carlo Rally, and potentially avoid back-to-back round-one wins, if it gives him a better shot at winning Rally Sweden – his home event in the World Rally Championship.
Solberg, like most of his rivals, is concerned at how the running order could impact on the classification of WRC rounds next season. If current regulations remain into next season, it’s possible the drivers of Rally2 cars – which are closer than ever in technical specification to the top-flight cars – could take advantage of a cleaner road and lead and potentially win events.
Solberg knows success in the French Alps would leave him first on the road in Umeå, and potentially hindered if there’s fresh snowfall around.
Solberg told DirtFish: “Looking at things now, if I’m going to talk a little bit strategically: I’m not sure I want to win Monte Carlo again, because I also want to win my home rally. And we know how close the performance is between Rally2, the Rally2 [WRC] Kit [Car] and the 27 [Rally 1 WRC] Car.
“As drivers, we all have small concerns, because, I think, the difference between the cars is so, so small – the smallest gap in history, I think. And, if the classes are not separated, I think we are quite scared of that; that at the end of the day, Rally2 can beat us. I think road cleaning will have much more [of an] effect and much more to say.
“And 100% this can happen in Sweden.”
Solberg urged the FIA to consider potential change to the running order regulation, adding: “They need to find a better way forward with the promoter and everyone to control the narrative [to be] good for the future and to look good as a sport. We have to work together to bring the best we can long-term – and I think we have to control the next two years and how it looks.”
If Solberg had the power to regulate and write the rules, what would he want in terms of a running order plan for 2027?
“It’s very simple,” he said. “We have qualifying, then we have Rally1 and Rally2 separate. If you want to drive Rally1, you enter Rally1. If you want to drive Rally2, you stay in Rally2. It’s like I’ve done my whole life. I can’t, all of a sudden, just go: ‘Ah, by the way, I have a Rally2 car. I want to win Rally1 now…’
“It doesn’t make sense. Where is the goal to come to the top? I’ve been fighting three years of my life to get back to the top and then, all of a sudden, now it doesn’t mean anything? So, I think, that side really needs to put the foot down.
“Rally1 is Rally1 and Rally2 is Rally2 and now these classes are closer than ever, you can’t look in the past to compare. This [situation] is new, this is different and we need to adapt to situations.”
