Oliver Solberg crowned 2025 WRC2 champion

Oliver Solberg was crowned 2025 WRC2 champion this Sunday at the Rally Chile Bio Bío, capping off a season in which he won five of his seven scoring rounds. The 23-year-old navigated the final four stages with the necessary calm to secure an insurmountable lead in the championship, erasing the bitter memory of 2024 in one fell swoop.

The irony of the moment was not lost: exactly 12 months ago, a puncture in this very rally cost him the title by just three points. This time, Solberg controlled every special stage on Sunday to take the victory he needed and his first world title.

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The Switch to Toyota That Transformed Him

The decision to leave Škoda and join Printsport proved to be the right one. Behind the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, the same car and team that took Sami Pajari to the title in 2024, Solberg built a campaign that started with his third consecutive victory at Rally Sweden, followed by wins in Portugal, Greece, Paraguay, and finally Chile.

"It's incredible," stated Solberg after crossing the finish line. "I don't know what to feel, it's overwhelming. It's a huge relief. Last year we had bad luck and we should have won it.

From Hyundai to the Title: The Path to Maturity

Solberg's rally lineage traces back to his father Petter, World Rally Champion in 2003 and subsequently World RX champion in 2014. Oliver began his career in local Scandinavian competitions at 16, quickly progressing to the Latvian Rally Championship where he secured wins that put him on the international radar.

His stint at Hyundai Motorsport between 2020 and 2022 included participations in WRC2 and sporadic appearances in the premier WRC category as part of the factory team. The experience with the Korean manufacturer allowed him to alternate between both categories, though performance ups and downs and some consistency errors led to Hyundai's decision not to renew his contract.

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Redemption After the Lost Title

After not being renewed by Hyundai, Solberg joined Škoda Motorsport in 2023 to compete in WRC2 with the Fabia RS Rally2. There, he established himself as one of the category's fastest drivers, winning several rallies and positioning himself as a serious title contender.

The 2024 season saw him come within touching distance of glory, losing the championship by those three points that fate repaid with interest this year. That puncture in Chile remained as a lesson that strengthened him for this perfect campaign.

His recent victory in Estonia 2025 at the wheel of a Toyota Rally1 car keeps speculation alive about a possible permanent return to the premier category. Solberg himself has expressed that his "dream" is to return to Rally1 permanently, though he acknowledges he doesn't want to repeat the mistakes of the past.

With the new Rally1 regulations for 2026, which promise more affordable cars and a reduction in technical complexity, the doors could open for the brand-new WRC2 champion to make the definitive leap to the top category of world rallying.