Last weekend’s Rally Chile injected fresh drama into the World Rally Championship (WRC) standings as Oliver Solberg claimed his first WRC victory since his January triumph in Monte Carlo, cutting the deficit to the leaders to a minimum.
Before the Chilean round, 20 points separated the top two in the championship, but now the top three—Elfyn Evans, Sami Pajari, and Oliver Solberg—are blanketed by just 21 points. Solberg secured a near-maximum haul of 34 points on Chilean roads, dropping just a single bonus point on Sunday to Sébastien Ogier.
On DirtFish’s rally podcast SPIN, The Rally Pod, journalists Luke Barry and David Evans reviewed the weekend’s events, concluding that the 24-year-old Solberg’s mature drive confirms his growth into a genuine title contender. Following summer setbacks in Greece, the Swede regained his confidence and control, delivering consistent pace in difficult, unpredictable conditions.
Solberg’s victory was aided by misfortune for championship leader Elfyn Evans. The Welshman was on course for second place and led the Sunday classification before a puncture on the final day stripped him of valuable points. Despite the setback, Evans retains a 17-point lead in the standings, with experts still backing him as the title favorite. However, Solberg has moved within striking distance of both Evans and Pajari, trailing the latter by just four points.
France’s Adrien Fourmaux also reached the podium in Chile, delivering another solid drive to bring home vital silverware for his team. Conversely, Esapekka Lappi’s weekend unraveled completely; the Finn never found a rhythm and admitted he fell short of expectations. Takamoto Katsuta and John Armstrong also ran into trouble, both suffering off-road excursions.
In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Toyota locked up yet another WRC crown. It marks the Japanese manufacturer’s sixth consecutive manufacturers’ title, matching the legendary benchmark set by Lancia.
Ott Tänak to Compete in the United States This Weekend
Ahead of the next WRC round, rally fans are looking stateside this weekend for the American Rally Association (ARA) Over The Mountain Rally.
The 2019 world champion Ott Tänak takes the start alongside co-driver Martin Järveoja. Joining Tänak are Brandon Semenuk and Ken Block’s daughter, Lia Block, who leads her championship class. The event is drawing significant interest in the WRC sphere as the world championship explores a potential future round on U.S. soil.