Oliver Solberg takes honorary record and Monte Carlo Rally from Ogier

Swedish Toyota driver Oliver Solberg This Sunday, at 24 years, 2 months and 2 days old, he became the youngest winner of the legendary Monte Carlo Rally, dethroning teammate British Elfyn Evans and nine-time world champion Frenchman Sébastien Ogier and taking the Monte Carlo precocious record, which he had held since 2009, with just one year to go.

The Swede, who competes in Rally 1, the highest category of the World Rally Championship (WRC), for Toyota and is participating in his first rally in his first season, achieved an overwhelming victory with his co-driver. Elliott Edmonson The race spanned four days and had 17 stages from start to finish, with six partial wins on stages 2, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 12, with Ogier winning four, Evans three, and Fourmaux and Fontana two.

son of Petter Solberg The 2003 World Rally Champion experienced one of the most complex editions in recent years, with lots of snow and ice and overcoming several setbacks, including an “excursion” into the meadows and a spin on the first pass of the Col de Turini. But nothing could stop Solberg. Solberg became the world championship leader for the first time, five points ahead of Evans and 12 points ahead of defending champion Ogier.

He quickly took the lead in the provisional overall standings and did not relinquish his position, whether in specials on wet, icy, snowy or foggy roads in the Southern Alps, or in the ‘super special’ on sections of the F1 street circuit in Monaco.

Although he started Sunday with a comfortable lead of more than a minute, Solberg’s path to glory was briefly threatened during the second stage of the morning. On the icy hairpin of La Borene Vesbie, he found himself trapped and overshot his GR Yaris Rally1, momentarily going in the opposite direction. He quickly recovered and regained his composure on the power stage of Col de Turini, although he only lost a few seconds.

“I don’t understand it right now. It’s another emotional day. This was the most difficult rally of my life. It’s my first time rallying on asphalt with a car, but here I am winning. I would like to say a huge thank you to Toyota for their faith. The teamwork was exceptional,” explained the young Solberg.

Next to Solberg, Elfyn Evans secured second place overall by 51.8 points thanks to a perfect final day in which he fought off relentless pressure from Sébastien Ogier and scored more Super Sunday points than any other Rally 1 driver.

Ogier, a 10-time Monte Carlo winner, finished in 1 minute 10.4 seconds, but admitted he had no answer to his teammate’s pace in the ever-changing conditions.

The championship resumes with Rally Sweden (February 12-15). Rally Sweden is the season’s only pure winter event, with crews venturing through the frozen forests around Umeå.