How Solberg has proved that good things really do come to those who wait

Good things come to those who wait.

It’s a statement that has rung true for Oliver Solberg, who has been patient and bided his time for a dream chance to become a full-time factory World Rally Championship driver. It has been quite the journey for the son of 2003 series champion Petter Solberg. But in 2026 that famous rally name will again carry full-time factory WRC status for the first time in 14 years, after Toyota came calling looking to replace the single-seater bound two-time world champion Kalle Rovanpera.

“It means everything, it is the biggest thing that has ever happened to me in my life,” new Toyota Rally1 recruit Solberg beams to Autosport. “To have this opportunity to be a WRC driver is the best thing you can have and something I have worked hard for, for many years and I have dreamed about since I was a kid.”

Now in possession of a golden ticket contract with Toyota, effectively taking the drive once held by Rovanpera, has only emphasised the importance of never giving up and being patient no matter what hurdles a career in professional motorsport can throw up.

Already the 2018 Nordic Rallycross champion by the age of 17, Solberg was somewhat destined to follow in the footsteps of his father. His stock on the rally scene quickly took an upward trajectory, taking out the Latvian Rally Championship in 2019, before finishing runner-up in the European Rally Championship in 2020, catching the eye of many in the WRC service park.

A full-time career in rallying’s top tier beckoned and everything was seemingly going in the right direction for that to come with Hyundai. The Korean marque, then headed by Andrea Adamo, offered Solberg topflight WRC outings in 2021, where he shined. It led to a golden opportunity for the rally obsessed Swede - a part-time seat (eight rounds) the following year.

Hard lessons were learned with Hyundai in 2022, but Solberg was grateful for the opportunity

Photo by: Fabien Dufour / Hyundai Motorsport

But it proved to be a false dawn amid what was a turbulent year for Hyundai that was chasing its tail having been late in getting its 2022 Rally1 project off the ground. Solberg showed flashes of speed claiming top six finishes in Sweden, Belgium and New Zealand, but there was also a fair share of big accidents. Perhaps, the most notable coming in Finland when he was reduced to tears after rolling his i20 N Rally in the forest, 300 metres into stage two.

“After Finland in 2022 I thought it was finished, but when I did my two very good rallies after Finland then I thought it was okay now and I can start working and get the build-up I need," says Solberg. "I was hoping for a full season [at Hyundai in 2023] like what was promised at the beginning and have a good future plan, and to be the Rovanpera at Hyundai. All these things were promised but it never happened.

“But then I got fired and then I was like, 'I have to start again and find the joy and reason why I do this'. After that I had full trust and belief that if I keep working and doing my best and showing myself. I was dreaming to be back and that was the goal - it worked! 

"There are completely new people at Hyundai from when I was there before, and also so many people said I would never want to come back to Hyundai, and I have never said that personally" Oliver Solberg

“When I look back at it now it was really hard then and it was the end of the world. I thought it was finished. But when I look at it now and the patience I have had and all the work I have done since, I feel that it was only positive that it happened, even if it was a negative thing. I still believe now it only made me better and stronger.”

Not wanting a repeat of the Hyundai experience, Solberg went away and quickly rebuilt himself in WRC2. The talent was always there but it just needed finessing. An offer to return to Rally1 courtesy of M-Sport-Ford arrived for 2025 after narrowly missing out on the 2024 WRC2 title driving a Toksport Skoda. Many would have jumped at the chance but not Solberg, who chose patience over immediate Rally1 gratification.

“If I think about my short-term future, maybe it would be very attractive, but long-term my dream is to stay in the WRC for a long time and I don’t want to do the same mistake I did last time with Hyundai," said Solberg in 2024. “I am one of the youngest [drivers here] but it is a big step for your career and you want to be sure that you make the right one this time.”

Solberg and Edmondson took the 2025 WRC2 title in dominant style

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Solberg’s patience has been duly rewarded with a simply stunning 2025 campaign, where he and co-driver Elliott Edmondson contested all 14 WRC rounds driving a Printsport-prepared Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. The duo claimed five wins from seven points scoring rounds to lift the WRC2 title with three rounds to spare, while finishing as the top Rally2 runner in nine events. But the moment that took Solberg to a new stratosphere, and could prove to be the turning point of his career, arrived in Estonia when he obliterated the WRC’s elite to claim a stunning maiden outright victory, in what was then a one-off Rally1 drive with the Toyota factory team.

"I’m very happy and very proud of myself that I have kept calm and had patience," Solberg admits to Autosport. "I have had many options [in Rally1] and I could have gone to different places very quickly [in my career] but I think patience is key when you are young still. I have waited this out and I got the opportunity in 2025 by getting a full season in Rally2 and got that one shot in Estonia and won the whole thing somehow. I think that is the best show of patience and work for the future."

A dominant run to the WRC2 title, alongside perhaps one of the best performances in recent WRC history to win in Estonia, has proved Solberg is more than ready to make the return to Rally1 on a full-time basis in 2026. There is no denying Solberg’s speed, and since his first Rally1 foray the Swede has reached new levels of ability, showcasing maturity beyond his 24 years. The level of Solberg’s performances in 2025 even caught the attention of Hyundai that led to the team investigating the possibility of luring the Swede for 2026, after Ott Tanak announced plans to leave the team and take a sabbatical for this year.

"There are completely new people at Hyundai from when I was there before, and also so many people said I would never want to come back to Hyundai, and I have never said that personally," says Solberg. "Many people at Hyundai were thinking I would never want to come back. If I get the opportunity, it is great if it was only Hyundai that offered me the opportunity it would have been great. I think my main goal was Toyota and that was the dream and that is when I made the jump [in 2025] and got that one rally in Rally1 last year and do the best I can and show why I should be in the team. That was the main goal and the number one target.

"Then of course we had some other offers on the table and so on. There are brand new people at Hyundai and I know FX [Demaison, Hyundai technical director] very well, and I have a lot of trust in him and all these things played in [my mind]. But my main goal and target and felt so comfortable at Toyota. I would be stupid not to take it when you get such a great opportunity."

Starting 2026 having already proved he can beat the WRC’s elite, many believe Solberg is already a world champion in the making and can even challenge for this year’s title. So what can we expect this year?

Solberg’s victory in one-off 2025 Rally Estonia outing caused a sensation

Photo by: Toyota Racing

"I dream of it [the title] of course, I have to dream. I believe anything is possible but then again it is my first year being full-time against these guys," he says. "I have done a few rallies and a half season in Rally1 but I’m still the driver that has done the least amount of rallies in Rally1. If I think realistically, and how long it took Kalle [to win the title] and he was driving consecutively all the time, then maybe not I can win straight away, but you never know. Nobody has won it until their third year, my father or [Sebastien] Loeb, Rovanpera or anyone and this will be my first full year. I feel like I have to be realistic. I still believe everything is possible and I don’t put limits on belief.

“I’m used to good or bad attention, good or bad pressure my whole life since I was a kid. Everything has gone so fantastically my whole career until that small section in 2022. When you get that fall after your whole life has been great then nothing breaks you. It is only about the pressure I put on myself and the belief I put in what I do and that is all I have to focus on.

“I think the goal [in Monte Carlo] is to start good and start clean. The goal is not to go and win every stage and try to win the rally. I think that would be stupid. I think it will be a case of doing your thing and seeing where the speed is consistently, and try to have a good result. If I'm in the top five, I will be very happy."

"It is more than deserved honestly. He has done everything he needs to do to get to Rally1 as a full-time driver" Sebastien Ogier

Toyota is already convinced it has signed a driver more than capable of fighting at the front from the outset, having put its faith in the Swede to score manufacturer points in Monte Carlo.

"Our expectations are that we believe he is of the speed to be fighting for podiums at pretty much every event," team principal Jari-Matti Latvala tells Autosport. "We will see how it is. It will be maybe more pressure, but we believe he is capable to handle the pressure, and speed-wise, he is there, he is able to fight for podiums in every race."

At a time when teams are not always prepared to take a risk on signing a younger driver over a more expected option, Solberg’s graduation has been met with widespread approval, that includes new Toyota team-mates, nine-time world champion Sebastien Ogier and last year’s runner-up Elfyn Evans. Ogier has already developed a friendship with Solberg, having been the driver the Swede called upon for advice in the lead up and during his run to victory in Estonia.

"It is more than deserved honestly. He has done everything he needs to do to get to Rally1 as a full-time driver," Ogier tells Autosport. "I’m glad he has got the opportunity. Now I wish he will continue to have enough respect for me and not kick my ass too early! But more seriously, it is always nice to bring some fresh blood and talented blood into the championship."

Who better than Ogier to advise Solberg when he landed his Estonia drive

Photo by: Qian Jun / MB Media via Getty Images

Five-time title runner-up, Evans, adds: "He has done an incredible job in 2025 and I think it is very much deserved for him to get this opportunity. It is nice to see a youngster get a full-time drive again and I’m sure he is going to do very well. It will be exciting to follow. I’m sure [he will keep me on my toes]."

Solberg has wasted little time in preparing himself for what will be a rookie full season in rallying’s top tier. Before Christmas he was back behind the wheel of the GR Yaris readying himself for Monte Carlo by tackling the French asphalt at Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy.

Competing alongside Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux provided an excellent benchmark for what he will experience when the crews line up in Casino Square in Monte Carlo this month. In what was his first outing on asphalt in the GR Yaris, he racked up four stage wins, finishing 14.7s behind eventual winner Fourmaux.

"For me, this was very good and very important as I can get an idea about the car and what I need to improve with my driving and we had a chance to change something [on the car], so it has been very good. It is just fine tuning, for my driving now," he adds.

It is well documented that the WRC will be without two of its superstars in 2026 with Rovanpera embarking on a journey towards Formula 1 preparing to tackle Japan’s Super Formula, while 2019 world champion Tanak has opted to take a sabbatical. But there is no doubt the WRC has gained a future superstar at the top level in Solberg, whose speed, passion and flamboyance will no doubt create a storyline worth tuning in to see unfold.

Given he is effectively filling a seat vacated by Rovanpera, some may be quick to draw comparisons, but Solberg has his mind set on continuing to forge his path to the top in his own unique way.

"Being yourself is the most important thing. I'm a very flamboyant and passionate guy, that is who I am and I will always be that. I will just be me," he concludes.

This article is one of many in the monthly Autosport magazine. For more premium content, take a look at the February 2026 issue and subscribe today. 

December’s Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy was a good rehearsal for Monte Carlo