Solberg quickest in first day

Oliver Solberg won in Monte Carlo, got a bit dissapointed on home soil in Sweden, where he missed the podium on fourth place. Photo: Fredrik Sundvall / FotoINorr

Oliver Solberg bounced back quickly from his missed podium in Sweden last event. After the Shakedown in Kenya, Oliver was second fastest, almost two seconds after Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville, and almost half a second faster than third fastest Sami Pajari. Shakedown is but a full speed test, and it was on the first special stage where Solberg was shining in the rain. Oliver was 30 seconds quicker than second fastest driver, Elfvyn Evans. There was a heavy rain in the first stage making it very difficult. “Worst stage of my life”, Oliver Solberg told Dirtfish after finishing the stage. Solberg started second in a increasing rain, where Evans had troubles with his windscreen. Katsuta that started third had trouble with both windscreen and his intercom, making him finish fourth, after Ogier.
In the second stage, no places switched in the top, Solberg was still in the lead, but Ogier was the quickest driver on the stage, just 0,4 seconds quicker than Pajari. The Toyota cars was 1-2-3-4-5 in both stages, making the best non-Toyota Thierry Neuville, 3,1 seconds up to Pajari in fifth.

Standings after SS2:
1) Oliver Solberg, Toyota
2) Elfvyn Evans, Toyota
3) Sebastien Ogier, Toyota
4) Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota
5) Sami Pajari, Toyota
6) Thierry Neuville, Hyundai
7) Jon Armstrong, M-sport
8) Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai
9) Esapekka Lappi, Hyundai
10) Gus Greensmith, Toyota*
*WRC2 driver

Written by: Christian Flodin