SOLBERG JR OVERCOMES LAST-MINUTE RALLY GB PANIC
Teenager has to resit driving test to make dream debut in Wales alongside father Petter
Oliver Solberg will make his
World Rally Championship debut in Wales, but the 18-year-old has told Motorsport News he feared his dream had turned to a nightmare last week.
Solberg had to pass his driving test in Sweden to be permitted to enter Britain’s round of the World Rally Championship as part of a two-car team with his fourtime Rally Gb-winning father Petter.
Solberg Jr failed the theory section of the test on Tuesday and was forced to retake it after passing the practical driving test the following day.
He told Motorsport News: “I thought I knew a little bit about pressure before last week. I didn’t. I knew nothing about pressure. That was a little bit crazy couple of days.
“I got one of the questions wrong on Tuesday and when I came out of the building and they told me I failed, the whole world fell apart a little bit. I couldn’t believe it. It was my 18th birthday on Monday and I spent the whole day in my room just studying the book about the test.
“I was so upset. I thought about everything we had planned: my first driving in the WRC – now I was not going to be able to drive those amazing stages in the [Volkswagen] Polo. And, of course, it wouldn’t be the same for my dad, for us to drive in Wales together was so important for all of us.”
Solberg returned home, spent another night revising and came back the next day and passed.
“The driving part went fine,” he said. “But when I did that, then it was the theory again. Honestly, I walked to that room shaking. The pressure was huge, but I got on and did it.”
To the delight of his father and team-mate Petter and mother Pernilla, Oliver passed.
“I will put this behind me now and I will look forward,” said Solberg Jr. “I have the best 18th birthday present in the whole world waiting for me in Wales and I can’t wait to get on with it. Competing with papa is going to be amazing; to have him with me on my first WRC round on a rally which means so much to him is really special for us all.”
Solberg Sr admitted he was impressed with how his son had dealt with the pressure of the test.
“He was a little bit upset to begin with,” said Solberg. “It was a tense moment, but this kind of pressure is part of the sport. He was calm when he started working again and he stayed with a good focus. It’s no problem; now we think to the race and what we have ahead.
“This week is going to be a big adventure for the whole family. But what Oliver will have to remember is this is a tough event. It’s much bigger than anything he’s done before – longer days, longer stages and a lot of work in the recce.”
Father, son, and brother/uncle Solberg – with Henning also starting in a Skoda Fabia R5 – will go over the ceremonial start ramp in Liverpool together. On Friday’s opening full day of action, Solberg Jr (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 #54) will lead the 2003 World Rally champion through the stages (Petter’s Polo is #55).
Oliver has already made history this year, becoming the youngest ever winner of a European Rally Championship round in Latvia. In addition to that, he has competed regularly in America, winning twice for the Subaru Motorsports USA squad.
“Wales is all about experience for me,” said Solberg Jr. “Since I can remember I dreamed of competing on this rally.”