Oliver Solberg dominated Rally Estonia to win a WRC event for the first time in his career
Photography by Toyota
Words by Luke Barry
Oliver Solberg has won his very first World Rally Championship event, dominating Rally Estonia on his first Rally1 start for three years.
Told just two weeks ago that he’d pilot a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 in Estonia instead of competing in WRC2, the 23-year-old sensationally stormed into the lead on Friday’s first stage by claiming his maiden WRC stage win.
He would never look back. Continually managing the pressure and actually growing his lead, Solberg’s eventual winning margin stood at 25.2 seconds over Ott Tänak.
It was a hugely emotional moment for Solberg, whose father Petter last won a WRC rally 20 years ago in 2005 and was there to immediately congratulate him.
A teary Solberg said: “After everything, for so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] and I have finally made it! I don’t know how to describe it. I just want to say a big thank you to Toyota, to the team and to the test team who have helped me get so comfortable. I’ve never had such a good time in my life, so thank you.”
Solberg drove the perfect rally - belying his level of (in)experience
Tänak played down his chances of a home win even before the event had begun, and ultimately he would be second-best to Solberg at round eight. However he did steal the lead of the drivers’ championship by just one point over Elfyn Evans.
“It was a very tough one for us,” Tänak said. “Honestly my mindset was probably not the best coming in here, I knew it was going to be tough. In the end we did the best we could but Oliver was clearly very much enjoying, really in his mood and confident what he’s doing. Really fair play to him. Now there’s no question he’s ready for Rally1, so great job for him.”
Thierry Neuville recorded his first podium since Safari Rally Kenya in March, taking the fight to Tänak on his local roads. Trading second place throughout Saturday, Neuville eventually lost some ground before a 10s penalty for a jump start consigned him to third.
Winner of Rally Estonia on the previous three WRC visits, Kalle Rovanperä was expected to fly but instead flopped to fourth place – his season-long struggles to adjust to Hankook’s tire offering persisting.
Adrien Fourmaux came alive after a slow Friday morning when he changed the differential, ride height and roll bar settings in service – winning a stage and cementing a top-five place.
Evans faced some struggles cleaning the road on Friday but, by his own admission, wasn’t quick enough thereafter. However he had the pace to overhaul team-mate Takamoto Katsuta on the rainy final day to take sixth.
Katsuta was battling issues throughout Saturday afternoon and reported problems on Sunday morning too, eventually forcing him into retirement prior to the powerstage.
Sami Pajari was a muted seventh in the fifth and final Toyota – beset by a sticking handbrake mechanism on Friday morning that was intermittently starving him of vital momentum down the long straights.
The M-Sport trio filled out the final points-scoring places in eighth, ninth and 10th. On roads more familiar to him Mãrtiņš Sesks was comfortably the fastest Puma, ahead of Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster whose couple of overshoots and slow puncture on Friday morning punished him as he swept the road for the rest of the event.
Robert Virves spent Friday night in hospital dealing with suspected food poisoning, yet came home to claim his first ever WRC2 victory.
It was a sweet moment for the Estonian as he settled the score against compatriot Georg Linnamäe, who beat Virves in a fight for overall victory in Estonia last year when it was part of the ERC.
Linnamäe did however place second with Roope Korhonen third. Expected title contender Nikolay Gryazin retired after stage two with broken suspension.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: Oliver Solberg, Rally Estonia, Rally Estonia 2025, WRC, WRC 2025
Publish Date July 20, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/07/IvYcEeVj-Solberg08EST25cm631-780x520.jpg July 20, 2025
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