Solberg Stuns in Estonia with First WRC Victory on Toyota Debut
History was made in Tartu, Estonia, as Oliver Solberg etched his name into the FIA World Rally Championship record books with a sensational maiden WRC victory at the 2025 Delfi Rally Estonia – and in doing so, revived the legacy of his world champion father, Petter Solberg.
The 23-year-old Swede delivered a commanding performance in his first outing in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, astonishing fans and rivals alike across the lightning-fast gravel roads of southern Estonia. Solberg and British co-driver Elliott Edmondson were only called up weeks before the rally, with just two days of testing to prepare. It was their first Rally1 start since 2022 – yet they looked like seasoned veterans from the opening stage.
Solberg immediately took the rally lead with a stage win on Friday and held it throughout the weekend, undeterred by tricky damp and slippery conditions on Super Sunday. He clinched Toyota’s milestone 100th WRC win with a 25.2-second margin over local favorite Ott Tänak.
“After so many years of trying and dreaming, me and Elliott finally made it. This team made me feel so at home — I’ve never had such a good time in my life.”
Solberg shared emotionally
Tänak Takes Points Lead, Neuville Penalised
Despite being tipped as the favorite, Tänak couldn’t extract the full potential from his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, particularly in low-grip zones. A costly stall on Saturday compounded his challenges, but he did just enough to take the lead in the drivers’ standings, overtaking Elfyn Evans by a single point.
Thierry Neuville, Tänak’s teammate, lost out on a podium battle after receiving a 10-second penalty for a false start on SS18. He still secured third place, ahead of Kalle Rovanperä, who showed flashes of pace but couldn’t crack the podium.
Other Highlights from Rally Estonia
- Adrien Fourmaux’s rally was marred by a nose-heavy landing that damaged his car’s front end. He finished fifth.
- Elfyn Evans came in sixth, unable to match the frontrunners but salvaging important points.
- Takamoto Katsuta retired before the Power Stage due to technical issues, while Sami Pajari overcame early mechanical woes to finish seventh.
- The top 10 included Mārtinš Sesks, Josh McErlean, and Grégoire Munster, all in M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 cars.
Rally Estonia 2025 – Top 6 Results:
- O. Solberg / E. Edmondson (SWE) – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 – 2h 36m 35.1s
- O. Tänak / M. Järveoja (EST) – Hyundai i20 N Rally1 – +25.2s
- T. Neuville / M. Wydaeghe (BEL) – Hyundai i20 N Rally1 – +48.3s
- K. Rovanperä / J. Halttunen (FIN) – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 – +55.6s
- A. Fourmaux / A. Coria (FRA) – Hyundai i20 N Rally1 – +1m 33.0s
- E. Evans / S. Martin (GBR) – Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 – +1m 43.4s
Drivers’ Championship (After Round 8 of 14):
- Ott Tänak – 162 pts
- Elfyn Evans – 161 pts
- Sébastien Ogier – 141 pts
The FIA WRC now heads to Finland for Round 9: Secto Rally Finland from 31 July to 3 August, where Evans will benefit from not running first on the road. But all eyes will be on Solberg to see if this was a one-off surprise — or the start of a new WRC era.