Oliver Solberg

Oliver Solberg
Oliver Solberg at the 2023 Monte Carlo Rally
Nationality	Swedish
Born	(2001-09-23) 23 September 2001 (age 23) Fredrikstad, Norway
Related to	Petter Solberg (Father) Henning Solberg (Uncle)
World Rally Championship record Active years 2019–present Co-driver Elliott Edmondson Teams Hyundai Motorsport, Škoda Motorsport, Volkswagen Motorsport Rallies 40 Championships 0 Rally wins 0 Podiums 0 Stage wins 0 Total points 108 First rally 2019 Wales Rally GB

Oliver Solberg (born 23 September 2001) is a Swedish rally driver. He is the son of the Norwegian 2003 World Rally Champion, Petter Solberg, and Swedish mother Pernilla Walfridsson, who is also a successful former rally driver. ^[1] After winning multiple crosskarting championships in his early years, Solberg became the 2018 RallyX Nordic Champion and 2019 FIA ERC1 Junior Champion before entering the World Rally Championship.

In 2022 he competed at the top level of the WRC for the first time as the third driver for Hyundai Motorsport, driving the new Rally1 car. In 2023, Oliver returned to WRC2 competition, winning his first points-scoring event at Rally Sweden 2023.

In 2024, Solberg joined Formula 1 driver Lando Norris' Quadrant Athlete program alongside three others, including WMX racer Lotte van Drunen, Moto3 pilot Iván Ortolá, and Olympic Gold medal winner Keegan Palmer. ^[2]

Early life

Solberg was introduced to the world of the WRC before his first birthday when he attended the 2002 Cyprus Rally to watch his father compete. Though a career in motorsport wasn't inevitable, as both his parents encouraged him to try football, ice hockey and many other activities, he had decided motorsport was what he wanted to do. ^[3] By the age of eight he was competing in crosskarting, winning his first ever race. Over the next years he won multiple Norwegian and Nordic Crosskart Championships.

Rally career

Solberg started his professional rally career in 2017 at 15 years old. Given his young age, one of the few places he was allowed to compete was the Latvian Rally Championship, though he was still too young to drive the road sections which resulted in him and his co-driver Veronica Engan swapping seats between stages. His first rally was Rally Alūksne in a Peugeot 208 R2 where he finished 2nd in his class. He finished the year with 2 wins. Solberg competed in his second season of the Latvian Rally Championship in 2018, where he finished 2nd in both the LRC3 and U28 categories behind European champion Mārtiņš Sesks.

After two years competing in the Latvian Rally Championship in the R2 class, Solberg stepped into R5 machinery for the 2019 season. He won 5 consecutive rallies, ultimately winning the Latvian Rally Championship in the Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. One of the rounds of the championship, Rally Liepāja, also counted for the European Rally Championship, meaning he won on his ERC debut against top-level international competition. ^[4] He also drove six rounds of the American Rally Championship in a Subaru WRX STI, with a livery based on his father's iconic blue and gold WRC Championship-winning car. He claimed victory on only his second outing at the Olympus Rally, and achieved a total of 3 victories in 6 races in the 2019 ARA season.

Oliver Solberg at Rally Liepaja 2019

Solberg made his WRC debut at the end of the season at 2019 Wales Rally GB in a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, showing stage-winning pace but ultimately retiring from the rally. ^[5] The same rally also marked his father's last WRC event as he signed off with a WRC2 class victory.

After making his WRC debut at the end of 2019, Solberg stepped up into a full WRC campaign in 2020 driving his own VW Polo R5, and also a partial campaign with Škoda Motorsport. The COVID-19 pandemic paused rallying for some time, but as the sport returned, he won the Rally Sweden Lockdown before heading into the FIA ERC and scoring a podium on his full tarmac debut before winning Rally Liepaja for the second year running. When the WRC restarted, Solberg scored his first WRC class win with a WRC3 victory at Rally Estonia. He followed it up with taking home the 2020 FIA ERC1 Junior Championship title. ^[6]

Oliver Solberg making his WRC car debut at the 2021 Arctic Rally

For 2021 Solberg joined the reigning WRC champions, Hyundai Motorsport, with a plan to drive the full WRC-2 season. ^[7] However, after his debut for the team at the 2021 Monte Carlo Rally driving the Hyundai i20 R5, he was unexpectedly offered the chance to make his top-level WRC debut in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC at the second round of the season, Arctic Rally Finland. He went on to finish 7th overall with several top 4 stage times. After a series of bad luck through the middle of the year while driving in the WRC2 class, Solberg ended the 2021 season back in the World Rally Car and finished fifth at the 2021 Rally Monza. ^[8]

Oliver Solberg during the Orlen 80th Rally Poland

2022 saw Solberg return to Hyundai Motorsport's top-level team, driving as the third driver on selected events throughout the season. He shared the seat with Dani Sordo, ^[9] with a best finish of 4th at Ypres Rally.

On October 6, 2022, it was announced that Solberg and Hyundai Motorsport would part ways at the end of the season at the end of the contract. ^[10]

Rallycross career

Oliver Solberg at Holjes RX 2018

Alongside his rallying commitments, Solberg also entered the RallyX Nordic Championship in 2017, driving his father's 600bhp FIA World Rallycross Championship-winning DS3. His father had jokingly promised that Solberg could drive the car if he could get all the licences and agreements in place, assuming that it wouldn't be possible given his young age. However, Solberg managed to get things in place in time for the season start. Solberg finished on the podium on his debut, and after winning two events in 2017 he ended the season 2nd in the championship.

Solberg returned to the RallyX Nordic Championship in 2018, taking the Championship title with 3 overall wins. ^[11]

In 2020 Solberg made a one-off return to rallycross, driving the DS3 in the All-Star Magic Weekend at Höljes – an event aimed to bring motorsport to people around the world online during the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished 3rd behind World RX drivers Johan Kristoffersson and Robin Larsson. The 'one-off' return became a 'two-off' after he took part in the Euro RX round at Höljes, winning on track ahead of Anton Marklund and Johan Kristoffersson, but later being controversially disqualified for an overweight car. ^[12]

Personal life

Oliver Solberg is the son of the 2003 World Rally Champion Petter Solberg and former rally driver Pernilla Solberg. His uncle Henning Solberg, cousin Oscar Solberg and grandparents are or have been well-known motorsport competitors. He lives in Mitandersfors, Sweden.

Solberg's 2018 RallyX Nordic title success, as well as his rally career so far and personal journey, was the subject of the 2019 film Born2Drive which was released in cinemas across Norway. ^[13] Solberg and his family also feature in the Discovery+ and TVNorge series, Team Solberg. ^[14] Season 1 was released in 2020, and Season 2 was released in 2022.

Rally victories

ERC victories

#	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	7th Rally Liepāja	2019	Aaron Johnston	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
2	8th Rally Liepāja	2020	Aaron Johnston	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
3	1st Royal Rally of Scandinavia	2023	Elliott Edmondson	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5
4	2nd Royal Rally of Scandinavia	2024	Elliott Edmondson	Skoda Fabia RS Rally2

WRC2 victories

#	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	70th Rally Sweden	2023	Elliott Edmondson	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
2	2nd Rally Chile	2023	Elliott Edmondson	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
3	71st Rally Sweden	2024	Elliott Edmondson	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
4	1st Rally Latvia	2024	Elliott Edmondson	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2
5	73rd Rally Finland	2024	Elliott Edmondson	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

WRC3 victories

#	Event	Season	Co-driver	Car
1	10th Rally Estonia	2020	Aaron Johnston	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5

Rally record

WRC results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	WDC	Points
2019	Oliver Solberg	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	MON	SWE	MEX	FRA	ARG	CHL	POR	ITA	FIN	GER	TUR	GBR Ret	ESP	AUS C	NC	0
2020	Oliver Solberg	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	MON 25		MEX Ret	EST 9	TUR										17th	8
		Škoda Fabia R5 Evo		SWE 17				ITA 18	MNZ 7
2021	Hyundai Motorsport N	Hyundai i20 R5	MON Ret		CRO	POR 11			EST Ret								13th	22
	Hyundai 2C Competition	Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC		ARC 7			ITA WD	KEN Ret					ESP 7	MNZ 5
	Hyundai Motorsport N	Hyundai i20 N Rally2								BEL Ret	GRE Ret	FIN Ret
2022	Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	MON Ret	SWE 6	CRO Ret		ITA	KEN 10	EST 13	FIN Ret	BEL 4	GRE	NZL 5	ESP	JPN		12th	33
	Hyundai Motorsport N	Hyundai i20 N Rally2				POR 47
2023	Oliver Solberg	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	MON 14	SWE 8	MEX 8	CRO 10	POR 7	ITA 44	KEN 9	EST 38	FIN 6	GRE Ret	CHL 6	EUR	JPN		10th	33
2024	Toksport WRT	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	MON 40	SWE 5	KEN 7	CRO	POR Ret	ITA DNS	POL 10	LAT 10	FIN 5	GRE	CHL 11	EUR 7	JPN		13th	27

* Season still in progress.

WRC-2 results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	WDC	Points
2019	Oliver Solberg	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	MON	SWE	MEX	FRA	ARG	CHL	POR	ITA	FIN	GER	TUR	GBR Ret	ESP	AUS C	NC	0
2021	Hyundai Motorsport N	Hyundai i20 R5	MON WD	ARC	CRO	POR 5	ITA	KEN	EST Ret								18th	10
		Hyundai i20 N Rally2								BEL Ret	GRE Ret	FIN Ret	ESP	MNZ
2022	Hyundai Motorsport N	Hyundai i20 N Rally2	MON	SWE	CRO	POR 25	ITA	KEN	EST	FIN	BEL	GRE	NZL	ESP	JPN		49th	3
2023	Oliver Solberg	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	MON	SWE 1	MEX 3	CRO	POR 2	ITA 26	KEN	EST 16	FIN	GRE Ret	CHL 1	EUR	JPN		6th	91
2024	Toksport WRT	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	MON	SWE 1	KEN 2	CRO	POR Ret	ITA	POL 2	LAT 1	FIN 1	GRE	CHL 4	EUR	JPN		2nd	123

* Season still in progress.

WRC3 results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	WDC	Points
2020	Oliver Solberg	Škoda Fabia R5 Evo	MON	SWE 5			TUR	ITA 6	MNZ 2	4th	61
		Volkswagen Polo GTI R5			MEX Ret	EST 1

ERC results

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	WDC	Points
2019	Sports Racing Technologies	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	PRT	ESP	LAT 1	POL	ITA	CZE	CYP	HUN	6th	39
2020	Oliver Solberg	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	ITA 3	LAT 1	PRT 23		ESP 4				2nd	112
		Škoda Fabia R5 Evo				HUN 4
2023	Toksport WRT	Volkswagen Polo GTI R5	PRT	CAN	POL	LAT	SWE 1	ITA	CZE	HUN	15th	33
2024	Oliver Solberg	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	HUN	CAN	SWE 1	EST	ITA	CZE	GBR	SIL	7th*	35*

References

1. "Oliver Solberg". e-wrc.com. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
2. "Announcing Quadrant Athletes". quadrant.gg. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
3. "About Me". oliversolberg.com. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
4. Evans, David (26 May 2019). "Oliver Solberg, son of Petter, wins on ERC top class debut". autosport.com . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 14 September 2019.
5. Evans, David (24 July 2019). "Petter and Oliver Solberg team up for WRC's Wales Rally GB". autosport.com . Motorsport Network . Retrieved 14 September 2019.
6. "ERC1 Junior Champion Q&A: Oliver Solberg". European Rally Championship . 30 November 2002. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
7. "Solberg joins Veiby in Hyundai WRC2 Squad". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
8. "Breaking news: awesome eight for Ogier". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
9. "Sordo and Solberg to share third Hyundai in 2022". wrc.com. WRC Promoter GmbH. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
10. "Hyundai Motorsport and Oliver Solberg set to part ways". 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
11. "Oliver Solberg takes RallyX Nordic Title". monsterenergy.com. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
12. "Euro RX: 'Magic Weekend' for Anton Marklund on home soil in Höljes". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
13. "Born2Drive". IMDb . Retrieved 2 February 2022.
14. "Team Solberg". IMDb . Retrieved 2 February 2022.

External links

• Official website
• Oliver Solberg's e-wrc profile

Sporting positions
Preceded by Tom Kristensen Johan Kristoffersson (2019)	Race of Champions Nations' Cup 2022-2023 With: Petter Solberg	Succeeded by Incumbent