Motorsports: The Swede extended his rally lead with a commanding drive, while fierce battles unfolded behind him in changing conditions.
Oliver Solberg has dominated the penultimate leg of the Rally Estonia, extending his overnight lead and showcasing his blistering pace on his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 debut.
The 23-year-old Swede started Saturday 12.4 seconds ahead of local favourite Ott Tänak but managed to almost double that margin by the midday service break, reaching Tartu with a commanding 22.8-second advantage.
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Despite facing a fresh challenge of running on used tyres for the first time in this car, Solberg remained composed and quick through the morning stages.
Solsberg's flawless driving on the Estonian gravel roads confirmed his rising status in the WRC scene and put him in pole position heading into the final leg of the rally.
“A fantastic morning loop,” Solberg summed up.
“Really, really strong. It's the first time I'm driving with used tyres on this car, so the rears were not really good [for the final stage], and I was just trying to learn a little bit. Solid morning.”
As Solberg surged ahead, the most intense action of the morning unfolded behind him. Hyundai’s Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville were locked in a thrilling seesaw battle for second place, constantly exchanging positions with each stage.
Tänak, starting the day in second, hit trouble early on SS9 after clipping a hay bale and stalling in a tight chicane, allowing Neuville to slip past.
Neuville’s advantage, however, was short-lived. The duo continued to push each other to the limit, and Tänak responded with a blistering run on the repeated Kanepi test to snatch second back by just 0.4 seconds.
Neuville also battled his own problems, including a dislodged co-driver side window which filled the cockpit with dust and affected visibility.
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Behind the lead trio, Kalle Rovanperä held firm in fourth place for Toyota. While he was unable to match the front-runners’ pace, the Finn kept a comfortable gap to those behind.
A position shuffle saw Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux climb into fifth after overtaking Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, who couldn’t keep up with the Frenchman’s consistent pace.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans endured a steady but subdued morning, remaining seventh overall.
The Welshman noted an improved car feeling following overnight setup changes, yet he still struggled to make a significant dent in the leaderboard.