Solberg following in dad’s footsteps, relishes Safari drive
Oliver Solberg of Hyundai during World Rally Championships Safari Rally on June 25, 2022 in Naivasha.
What you need to know:
- The young driver, navigated by Elliot Edmondson, won WRC Sweden, was second in Portugal, third in Croatia and sixth in the season-opening Monte Carlo.
- “We took some good experience from Monte for the asphalt," Solberg told WRC.com, "and in some ways, Croatia is quite similar in the sort of demands you make on the car: You need a car that’s going to give you confidence and speed when the grip level can be changing all of the time.”
Swedish rally youngster Oliver Solberg can't wait to return to Kenya for an amazing drive this year after his assignment in Sardinia, Italy, this weekend where he continues his WRC Rally2 programme.
Like in Monte Carlo and Croatia, he has also opted not to score points in the Safari Rally but will instead continue with his learning curve in the Toksport Škoda Fabia Evo in the Rally2 class.
Saying he enjoyed himself to the extreme in 2022 as a member of the Hyundai World Rally Team, Solberg, 21 - son of the 2003 World Rally champion Petter Solberg - has always had a soft spot for the Safari Rally since childhood, always pricked by tales of his father's experience in Kenya over 20 years ago.
“Kenya we are coming back. It is amazing with amazing fans and atmosphere," said Solberg on his Facebook wall.
With point scoring none of his worries, Solberg will be enjoying himself, and fans are guaranteed a good display from the talented driver.
He is also grateful to fellow competitor Daniel Chwist for facilitating his competition in the Safari driving a Skoda Fabia Evo despite the fact that he will not be scoring WRC points.
"I want to say a big thank you to Daniel Chwist for giving us this opportunity to enter the Safari Rally Kenya this year,” said Solberg, 10th last year here in Kenya.
Chwist, navigated by Kamil Heller, will drive a Skoda Fabia RS in the Safari.
Competing in the 2022 Safari Rally was a dream from Oliver’s father who raised him up with tales of the Safari Rally from an early age before he started off his career in karting followed by drives in rally cars like the Peugeot 208 R2.
He said last year that working through the grassroots rally programmes was vital to his development and that his heart and mind are to write his own experiences, different from his father’s.
His father finished fifth in his debut Safari Rally in 1999 driving a Ford Focus and recorded a similar result the following year in a similar car.
The young driver, navigated by Elliot Edmondson, won WRC Sweden, was second in Portugal, third in Croatia and sixth in the season-opening Monte Carlo.
A Safari title will be his dream next month in Naivasha.
“We took some good experience from Monte for the asphalt," Solberg told WRC.com, "and in some ways, Croatia is quite similar in the sort of demands you make on the car: You need a car that’s going to give you confidence and speed when the grip level can be changing all of the time.”
