16/1/09

Henning Solberg

Career highlights:

2008: Fourth on Rally Jordan

2007: Sixth in WRC Drivers' Championship - just behind Petter

2006: Third on Rally Turkey - his first podium result

2005: Fourth place in Cyprus in a privateer Ford

2004: First WRC points in Sweden in a private Peugeot

Career summary:

Henning Solberg, the older brother of 2003 title winner Petter, has been a regular fixture on the World Rally Championship over the past five years, although he's never experienced the success that his two-years-younger sibling has tasted. That shouldn't detract from Henning's obvious talents, though. He's proved to be a solid points contender, and looks set to enhance that reputation with Ford again this year.

Like so many other Scandinavians, Henning Solberg is a gravel specialist, although he was brought up in rallycross, rather than forest rallying. After switching to rallying full-time in the mid-1990s, he quickly became one of the top national drivers. Between 1999 and 2003, he was the Norwegian Champion five times in a row. He started competing on the international scene in 1998 and after selected outings in a Ford Escort WRC and Toyota Corolla WRC, he joined Bozian Racing's privateer Peugeot team for 2004. That ensured a step up to a semi-works Ford run by factory outfit M-Sport for 2005.

In 2006, Henning joined the OMV-Peugeot Norway World Rally Team to contest the majority of the WRC rounds. He achieved solid performances aboard the Peugeot 307 and also scored his first WRC podium in Turkey.

In 2007 Henning switched from the 307 to the Ford Focus RS WRC and a full-time drive with the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team. He achieved his second WRC podium by taking third place on his home event, Rally Norway, and later took another podium on Rally Japan. That year he finished sixth in the drivers' championship.

Solberg stayed at Stobart for the 2008 season and looked on course for another podium in Sweden until a puncture and a crash on the second day put him out of contention. Solberg's point scoring potential made him a natural replacement for the absent Luis Perez Companc at the Munchi's Ford team and he was seconded into the Argentinean squad five times during the year.

Henning's flamboyance at the stage ends has become something of a trademark for the Norwegian and his crowd-pleasing antics during Super Special stages have made him one of the most likeable drivers in the championship.

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