WRC: Oliver Solberg still leading after Saturday Rally Estonia stages
Solberg started the day with a 12.4s lead but faced a similar road position to his rivals. This placement would test the Swede, as he looked to repeat Friday's impressive pace on Estonia's fast gravel stages.
However, the 23-year-old, competing in a one-off drive in Toyota's Rally1 line-up, delivered an emphatic performance to complete the day's nine stages with his advantage over Hyundai's Ott Tanak growing.
Oliver Solberg, Elliott Edmondson, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
Solberg added four more stage wins to his tally that stands at seven, after claiming his first career WRC stage win on Friday. Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson either took a stage win or were within 1.2s of the pace on each Saturday test, which outlined their ability to produce consistent speed.
Solberg won three of the four stages across the morning loop, before beating Hyundai duo Tanak and Thierry Neuville by 0.5s on the second pass through the jump-laden Otepää stage on Saturday afternoon. Three Sunday stages and the prospect of rain stand in the way of Solberg from claiming what would be an emotional breakthrough win.
'For sure [this was better than yesterday] as everyone had the same starting position and I could do the stages without any mistakes, win some stages and be clean and consistent,' said Solberg.
'It is not easy when you have these two guys [Tanak and Neuville] behind, and I haven't really figured out what I have done but I tried my best. Of course [I have thought about the win]. I have been thinking about how to give myself the best chance not to be caught and I was thinking they would catch me, but not yet.'
Battles throughout the field
Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1
While Solberg grabbed the headlines at the front, Tanak and Neuville were locked in an intense fight for second. Tanak started the day in second only for a couple of mistakes in stage nine resulted in the local favourite ceding the position to Neuville. The position changed hands on four more occasions throughout the day before Tanak took control by 4.0s at the end of the day.
'Obviously it has been frustrating since the testing we did before Estonia, so I had the feeling it would be a tough rally and we are having a tough rally,' said Tanak. "We need to push for that [second position for the championship points.]"
Kalle Rovanperä's hopes of a podium evaporated, as the Finn's struggles to gel with his GR Yaris and Hankook gravel tyres continued. A frustrated Rovanpera felt he'd maximised his package but was ultimately unable to pull himself into the battle. Rovanpera, who has previously dominated the last three WRC editions of the event, will head into Sunday in fourth, 26.5s adrift of third-placed Neuville in fourth.
'We are trying our best and at the moment there is not much else we can do,' said Rovanpera.
Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux delivered a series of strong stage times to emerge from a battle with Toyota's Takamoto Katsuta in fifth [+1m08.2s]. The pair were split by 2.8s at midday service before Fourmaux managed to pull clear of the Japanese, who had a mysterious issue with his GR Yaris.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans endured a miserable day mired in no man's land in seventh [+1m30.4s]. The Welshman was unable to extract the pace from his Toyota to climb the leaderboard.
'It is very frustrating [not to find progress] as there are four of us close together and we can't really make any impression on the guy further down the road,' said Evans.
When asked if there was something that could be learned from Solberg's set up, he added: 'He [Oliver] has something quite radical with his set up which is not an option for us.'
Joshua McErlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1
Toyota's Sami Pajari ended the day 26.5s ahead of M-Sport-Ford's Mārtiņš Sesks to hold eighth [+2m14.5s], while M-Sport's Josh McErlean [+4m13.6s] and Gregoire Munster [+4m48.5s] rounded out the Rally1 field.
Estonia's Robert Virves topped the WRC2 field with a 26.5s margin from compatriot Georg Linnamae.
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The comeback queens - these Lionesses never give in
When all seems lost, these Lionesses find a way to rescue it. The comebacks queens, always coming back for more. with a chance to defend their European crown. But even Sarina Wiegman feared they would be flying home today when the clock hit 88 minutes in the semi-final with Italy and they were still trailing 1-0. Just why had the defence been picked apart too easily again in the first half to concede to give Barbara Bonansea the space and time to score? Just why were Alessia Russo and Lauren Hemp, in particular, not clinical enough? Just why are they always relying on the substitutes? Maybe that is a recipe for success rather than a desperate rescue mission. Read more from Sky News: Because when Wiegman saw there would be seven minutes of stoppage time, suddenly there was hope again. Especially as five minutes earlier, the manager had brought on Michelle Agyemang. It's a lot to rely on a 19-year-old. But this is a striker who scored 41 seconds into her international debut as a substitute in April. And she scored the equaliser that sent the quarterfinal into extra time last week before England beat Sweden on penalties. Now the weight of the nation was on her shoulders again - and she delivered in the sixth of the seven minutes of injury time. "She has something special," Wiegman said. "She's very mature, she knows exactly what she has to do. "When you talk about little things that she picks up straight away, because she's not only in the 18-yard box very dangerous but when we have to go to her as a target player, she keeps the ball really well too." The Arsenal forward even hit the crossbar in extra time before the Wembley winner from the final three years ago showed again why she's a super-sub. Just when it seemed England would need to win another shootout, Beth Mead was brought down and now they had one penalty to win it. Chloe Kelly was denied but alert to pounce on the rebound. And with a 2-1 win, England will go the distance for a third tournament in a row. No England team has ever previously enjoyed such a deep run. For Kelly it will be a second final of the year after winning the Champions League with Arsenal. But it is a year that began despondent at Manchester City before securing a move to the Gunners. "The moments when in January I felt like giving up football makes you so grateful for these moments here today, and this makes you enjoy every minute of that," Kelly said. "I think confidence comes from within, but from around you as well. The players that we stand side by side with on the pitch, give confidence in each other." And England will certainly feel confident. These never give in. How many teams would want to bottle up that fighting spirit and resilience? "When it finishes like this I am enjoying it but it's a little bit dramatic," said Wiegman, who has now reached an unprecedented five tournament finals with the Netherlands and England.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Electric car grant supercharges salary sacrifice EV deals
The UK Government's new Electric Car Grant (ECG) is a welcome and overdue boost for electric vehicle adoption, one that makes salary sacrifice schemes more appealing than ever for drivers and employers alike. Offering up to £3,750 off the price of a new electric car under £37,000, this grant reintroduces meaningful financial support for clean transport, and does so in a smarter, more targeted way. A two-tier system rewards the lowest-emission models with the highest discounts, while all eligible cars will see the grant applied automatically at the point of sale—no forms, no hassle. For companies offering EVs through salary sacrifice schemes, this is a game-changer. Combined with existing tax benefits, the grant pushes costs down further, making net-zero motoring accessible to even more people. Salary sacrifice has already proven to be one of the most cost-effective routes into EV ownership. Drivers benefit from tax-efficient monthly payments, employers improve their green credentials, and the public sees fewer polluting cars on the road. Now, with the ECG in play, the monthly savings grow even more substantial—provided you're with a provider that knows how to make the most of it. The best salary sacrifice companies, those worth their salt, will pass these new savings on immediately and transparently. They'll also offer a broad range of vehicles from multiple manufacturers, ensuring drivers aren't limited to a handful of eligible models. With the right provider, you'll see the grant applied seamlessly, with clear pricing and no added complexity. Backed by £650 million in government funding until at least 2028/29, the ECG represents a serious and long-term commitment to decarbonising transport. It builds on the legacy of the now-defunct Plug-in Car Grant but ties funding to sustainability performance, a move that rewards greener engineering and encourages manufacturers to push even further. This isn't just about individual drivers saving money. It's about accelerating the shift away from fossil fuels, and salary sacrifice is playing a crucial role in that transition. When supported by smart government policy like the ECG, and delivered by capable providers, the model offers a win for the environment, for businesses, and for drivers alike. For those still on the fence about making the switch to electric, this grant might just be the nudge that makes it a no-brainer. The message is clear: go electric now, and do it through a salary sacrifice scheme that delivers real value. "Electric car grant supercharges salary sacrifice EV deals" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Other OEMs follow Leapmotor's lead with UK BEV price cuts
More manufacturers are offering grant subsidies for BEV purchases ahead of the upcoming UK electric vehicle grant. Last week Leapmotor announced cuts of around 10% to its all-electric car prices in the UK car market, ahead of the UK government's BEV grant scheme. GWM (Great Wall) UK said it is matching the UK government EV grant with its own £3,750 'Green Grant' for retail customers. The UK government's grant scheme is yet to be implemented and there is some uncertainty over which vehicles will qualify and precise grant sums. Available across the entire GWM ORA 03 range, the manufacturer's grant brings the entry-level ORA 03 PURE to just £21,245 OTR. SAIC-owned MG Motor UK has also announced that with immediate effect, the company will offer all private buyers of the MG4 EV and the MGS5 EV a grant of £1,500. The MG grant will be over and above any incentives currently offered by MG's 155 UK dealer partners. Guy Pigounakis, Commercial Director for MG Motor UK, said: 'We will seek to work constructively with the [UK] government to further increase the sale of EVs.' "Other OEMs follow Leapmotor's lead with UK BEV price cuts" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio