Oliver Solberg faced a setback during the Swedish Rally when he and his co-driver Elliott Edmondson ended up in a ditch, suffering a puncture and losing critical time.
In the latter part of the second special stage on Friday, Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson, driving at high speed, veered off course and landed in a ditch. The duo managed to get back on the track, but they hit a rock, resulting in a puncture that hindered their performance significantly. This unfortunate incident caused Solberg to lose 31.9 seconds to the leading driver, Elfyn Evans, who had taken the lead on the first stage of the day, causing Solberg to drop down the ranking as a consequence of the mishap.
Despite the earlier setback, Solberg displayed resilience by winning the final stage before the lunch break, cutting down his time to now just 36.3 seconds behind Evans heading into the afternoon stages. The daytime competition continued to be intense as Solberg aimed to recover from his earlier misfortune. The rally has four more stages to be completed in the afternoon, heightening the tension and excitement surrounding the event as Solberg fights to reclaim his position and compete for victory.
As the Swedish Rally progresses, the standings show Elfyn Evans in the lead, followed by Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari. Solberg's performance in the upcoming stages will be critical as he seeks to close the gap on the leaders and potentially secure a podium position in this prestigious rally event, part of the World Rally Championship series for 2026.
