Oliver Solberg claimed his first World Rally Championship victory by winning the Delfi Rally Estonia. The 23-year-old Swedish driver completed his return to the Rally1 category with a Toyota GR Yaris after receiving the call-up just two weeks before the event.

The victory comes two and a half years after his last Rally1 appearance with Hyundai at the 2022 Rally New Zealand. Solberg finished 25.2 seconds ahead of Estonian Ott Tänak (Hyundai), who now leads the drivers' championship by one point over Elfyn Evans.

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Leading from Friday's opening stage

Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson took the lead from Friday's second stage, the first where they set a competitive time. The Swede maintained his advantage throughout the weekend, winning nine of the 20 gravel stages in southern Estonia.

"After everything, after so many years of trying again and again and dreaming, Elliott and I finally did it," Solberg said with tears in his eyes. "I want to thank Toyota, the test team who helped me feel so comfortable, for all the support this weekend from this beautiful team."

Redemption after 2022 Hyundai struggles

Solberg reached Rally1 in 2022 after competing in WRC2 and occasional WRC appearances. Hyundai gave him their third i20 N Rally1, sharing the program with Dani Sordo.

His debut season proved challenging. While showing speed on certain stages, frequent mistakes and difficulties adapting to the complex hybrid system marked his year. His best result was sixth in Sweden, but retirements in Croatia, Portugal, Sardinia and a heavy crash in Greece led to his contract not being renewed in October.

Returning to WRC2 in 2023 allowed him to rebuild confidence and mature as a driver. He currently leads the WRC2 championship with multiple wins including Rally Sweden. That maturity proved crucial when Toyota offered this opportunity two weeks before Estonia.

Tänak takes championship lead

Local favorite Ott Tänak couldn't extract optimal performance from his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 on sections with inconsistent grip. A braking error during Saturday's ninth stage cost him seven additional seconds.

Tänak overtook Evans in the championship standings, now holding 140 points - one more than the Welsh Toyota driver. Evans finished sixth in Estonia and has 139 points. Third place went to Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), who received a 10-second penalty for a jump start in stage 18.

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Toyota regulars struggle

Two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä, winner of the previous three Rally Estonia editions, struggled to adapt to the new Hankook tires introduced in 2025. The Finn finished fourth, 55.6 seconds behind the winner, though he claimed fastest time on the final Power Stage.

Evans completed a difficult weekend for Toyota by finishing sixth, 1 minute 43.4 seconds back. The Welshman earned 11 points but lost the championship lead for the first time this season. Takamoto Katsuta retired before the Power Stage with technical issues.

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First Swedish winner since 1997

Solberg's victory makes him the first Swedish driver to win a WRC rally since Kenneth Ericsson triumphed in New Zealand in 1997. Elliott Edmondson becomes the sixteenth British co-driver to claim a world championship victory.

The win comes exactly 20 years after his father Petter Solberg's last victory - the 2003 world champion's final win came at Wales Rally GB in 2005. Toyota also celebrates its 100th WRC victory, though Solberg doesn't score manufacturers' points as a guest entrant.

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Next stop: Finland

The World Rally Championship continues July 31-August 3 with the Secto Rally Finland in Jyväskylä, the ninth round of the 2025 season. This marks the first time Tänak will arrive as championship leader on Finnish soil.

Results - Rally Estonia 2025