UMEÅ, Sweden – If anyone wondered whether Oliver Solberg could carry the weight of a nation – and a championship lead – onto the ice of Västerbotten, the answer roared through the Red Barn Arena on Thursday night.
Under the floodlights of the Umeå Sprint, amidst the biting cold and the scent of pyrotechnics, Solberg didn’t just start his home rally; he stamped his authority on it.
Fresh from a fairytale victory in Monte Carlo, the 24-year-old wrestling his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 through the technical 5.16km opener to stop the clocks at 5m53.1s. It wasn't clean – the rear of the Yaris dancing a frantic jig on the polished ice – but it was fast. Fast enough to head a staggering Toyota 1-2-3-4 lockout that has left Hyundai scrambling for answers before the forests have even properly opened.
“The car was going in all directions. There was nothing to follow,” Solberg admitted at the stop line, his breath visible in the cabin. “It was really tricky and required a lot of grip… not easy, but good enough.”
It was more than good enough. It was a statement.
Elfyn Evans, ever the pragmatist, slotted into second, 3.8 seconds adrift. The Welshman, currently chasing his young teammate in the standings, opted for a "cautious" approach on the rutted surface, wary of the biting snowbanks that claimed M-Sport’s Jon Armstrong. Armstrong, making his Rally1 debut on snow, found the white stuff early, burying the nose of his Puma and hemorrhaging 45 seconds – a cruel welcome to the top flight.
Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari rounded out the Toyota quartet, leaving Thierry Neuville as the lead Hyundai in fifth, 6.7 seconds back. The reigning world champion looked ill-at-ease, braking early and fighting a lack of feeling that has plagued the i20 N on these openers before.
“I’m braking super, super early all the time,” Neuville grimaced. “I just don’t know if the car will stop.”
For the returning Esapekka Lappi, seventh was a quiet start to a mission of rehabilitation, but tonight belonged to Solberg. The Prince of Värmland has come home, and he’s in no mood to share the throne.
Rally Sweden Leaderboard (After SS1)
| Pos | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oliver Solberg | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:53.1 | – |
| 2 | Elfyn Evans | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:56.9 | +3.8s |
| 3 | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:57.5 | +4.4s |
| 4 | Sami Pajari | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 | 5:58.7 | +5.6s |
| 5 | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai i20 N Rally1 | 5:59.8 | +6.7s |
