Solberg strikes first in WRC Rally Italy Sardinia title showdown

He may be the long shot in a three-way title shootout, but Oliver Solberg made the perfect start to his bid for a first FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ crown by winning Thursday evening’s opening stage of Rally Italy Sardinia.

The 25-year-old Swede (above), who headed to the Sardinia finale 21 points behind Toyota Gazoo Racing teammate and WRC points leader Elfyn Evans, set the pace through the curtain-raising 1.29-mile Ittiri Arena Show superspecial with a time of 2m01.4s.

Solberg was 0.8s quicker than nine-time and outgoing WRC champ Sebastien Ogier in a similar factory GR Yaris Rally1, while Evans completed a Toyota lockout of the top three, 1.1s off the lead.

On Thursday morning, a fast-starting and highly-motivated Solberg had also set the quickest time in the pre-rally Shakedown (video below). But with a maximum 35 points available across the weekend, he knows he needs a near-perfect rally if he’s to overturn Evans’ advantage and claim a first-time world title.

”The goal is simple, but to achieve it is a different story,” he said. “Thirty-five points is what I need to get. I will do my best and try to stay out of trouble. After a rollercoaster season, somehow I’m still in the fight.”

With the cars running head to head in the short, sharp opener, Evans was paired with his nearest championship rival Sami Pajari in an all-Toyota duel on the spectator-friendly test and edged the Finn by 0.4s. Pajari finished fourth on the time sheet, 1.5s from Solberg’s benchmark.

Despite holding a 17-point lead over Pajari, Evans made clear that protecting his advantage will not be an option when the rally moves onto Sardinia’s loose, sharp gravel roads for Friday’s opening leg.

“I’m feeling all right at the moment,” he said. “I would say I’m looking forward to it, but I think tomorrow will be tough. We’re here to drive like usual and try to do a good job, even though it will be quite challenging. To [win the title], you have to drive well. We’re not in a position to cruise around here.”

Ogier split the title contenders with second-fastest time after defeating Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville in their head-to-head run.

“It’s only a short start, but it is nice to see so many people,” said Ogier. “It’s a great way to start the weekend. Tomorrow will be very different and slippery. Hopefully the dust won’t be an issue.”

Neuville’s i20 N Rally1 completed the top five, 2.3s off Solberg, with Hyundai teammate Dani Sordo just 0.1sec further back on the stage, but certainly not on the overall leaderboard. The Spaniard is enduring a difficult start to the rally, having already incurred a 10s penalty for arriving late at the first time control following damage sustained in shakedown, before collecting a further 10s penalty for a jump start on the stage.

With Sordo demoted by his pair of penalties, Takamoto Katsuta sits sixth overall in his factory GR Yaris, followed by Adrien Fourmaux’s Hyundai, then M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 duo Jon Armstrong and Josh McErlean in eighth and ninth.

In WRC2, the second tier of international rallying, Teemu Suninen leads the class and sits 10th overall in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. With the championship already settled in favor of Skoda Fabia RS driver Robert Virves, Suninen is looking for a Sardinia win to lock in second in points.

Teemu Suninen is targeting a runner-up finish in the WRC2 standings. A class fastest time on Sardinia’s opener showed the GR Yaris Rally2 driver means business. Red Bull Content Pool

Friday consists of six special stages totaling 74.35 competitive miles. If the weather stays dry, road cleaning and hanging dust are expected to become major factors in the three-way championship fight. Elfyn Evans will be first car on the road by way of his WRC points lead and can expect the worst of the conditions as he plays grudging gravel sweeper for the cars behind.

WRC Rally Italy Sardinia, positions after Thursday, SSS1

1 Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) 2m01.4s
2 Sebastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +0.8s
3 Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.1s
4 Sami Pajari/Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.5s
5 Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +2.3s
6 Takamoto Katsuta/Aaron Johnston (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2.7s
7 Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +3.0s
8 Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne (Ford Puma Rally1) +3.7s
9 Josh McErlean/Eoin Treacy (Ford Puma Rally1) +4.2s
10 Teemu Suninen/Janni Hussi (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 – WRC2 leader) +4.6s

• Catch WRC action from all rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship on RACER Network and the RACER+ App. Tune in on Monday, Oct. 5 at 9.00pm ET for full highlights from Rally Italy Sardinia.  
• RACER Network is also your home for the WRC Magazine show, with new episodes landing on the Thursday before every WRC event. Get up to speed for the Rally Italy Sardinia title-decider at 7.30pm ET on Thursday, Oct. 1.   
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