Why returning to the WRC podium was so important for Oliver Solberg

A return to the World Rally Championship podium for the first time since January was a relief after a mentally challenging Rally Portugal, according to Oliver Solberg.

Finishing second in Portugal last weekend was a much-needed result for the Toyota driver’s title aspirations after suffering a mechanical issue in Kenya and costly crashes in Croatia and the Canary Islands. In each of the events leading up to Portugal, Solberg displayed pace to fight for the victory, only to end up with just 21 points – largely coming from Super Sunday salvage efforts.

After suffering a second puncture of the rally on Sunday morning, it appeared the 24-year-old was set to miss out on the podium again. However, punctures for his team-mates, rally leader Sebastien Ogier and third-placed Sami Pajari, lifted him into the top three for the first time since winning the season opener in Monte Carlo in January.

Solberg enjoyed two spells in the lead of the event despite not feeling 100% confident with his GR Yaris throughout.

“I’m very relieved to be honest. We were leading then we went back to fourth then we were leading again and went back to fourth it was up and down with the puncture on Saturday and puncture on Sunday. The punctures were very annoying, and I was thinking it was only me that was getting punctures but then in the end everyone seems to get some punctures at some point,” said Solberg.

“I feel very happy. Seb for sure deserved to win. I feel I really deserved this and it feels good after the two tough rallies [in Croatia and Canary Islands]. It is nice to be back on the podium with some good speed even if the feeling hasn’t been 100% my normal pace.”

Solberg admitted he was not himself in Portugal and found the entire rally mentally challenging, knowing that he couldn’t afford another low score.

“It [the result] was important [mentally] for sure,» he added. “I have always been mentally strong and or mentally happy. The speed has been there, the feeling has been there, but I have had a few tough rallies. After Africa I was really confident as it could have been a win and Super Sunday was really strong on the gravel.

“Then on tarmac, Croatia was a tough one and then the feeling was really good in the car after. The Canary Islands was a fantastic rally until the end and we were fighting all the time consistently with Seb and that blow [crash] at the end was a knife in my heart. That happens when you fight for the win.

“But this rally [in Portugal] was different mentally. It was really hard mentally and I have not been myself I think in stage end interviews.”

The next challenge for Solberg is a return to asphalt when the WRC heads to Japan at the end of the month for the final tarmac round of the campaign.

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— The Motorsport.com Team