Having charged into the lead by winning his
class on the Umeå Sprint stage on Thursday evening, Solberg started SS2 3.0sec
ahead of the chasing pack.
Despite reporting a bout of understeer at
the finish of #42 Brattby, the 22-year-old edged out Sami Pajari by 2.1sec to
extend his category advantage to 6.2sec.
Fastest among the WRC2 contingent on SS3
and SS4, Solberg returned to Umeå for midday service leading Pajari by 19.7sec.
Although Georg Linnamäe broke his sequence
of stage wins on SS5 – a performance that netted the Estonian Toyota GR Yaris
Rally2 driver his maiden outright WRC stage victory – Solberg’s lead was never
threatened. He topped the order on SS7, despite a handbrake issue causing him
to miss a junction and momentarily lose confidence, and again on SS8.
“Third place in a Rally2 [car] is
incredible and in my home rally it’s a bit of a dream and I’m very happy,”
Solberg said. “But the main goal is WRC2 and we are leading with quite a lot so
I’m happy with the day.”
Linnamäe, who also set the WRC2 pace on
SS6, is second overnight and first of the WRC2 Challenger category drivers followed
by Pajari, who admitted to stalling his Yaris at the start of SS5.
Roope Korhonen, the 2023 WRC3 champion, is
fourth in another Yaris followed by Mikko Heikkilä, the 2022 Finnish title
winner and a frontrunner in the FIA European Rally Championship, and Lauri
Joona.
Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Program
member Yuki Yamamoto is seventh after eight stages, one place ahead of Isak
Reiersen, Solberg’s childhood friend and the Junior ERC winner on BAUHAUS Royal
Rally of Scandinavia winner in Sweden last July.
Turbo issues have left Emil Lindholm in
ninth position. Veteran Polish driver Michał Sołowow completes the top 10 and
also leads the WRC Masters Cup.
Jan
Solans ran as high as eighth but stopped with a reported technical issue on
Friday afternoon.
Solberg’s
pursuit of back-to-back WRC2 wins in Sweden continues on Saturday morning with
SS9, Vännäs.
Finland
Italy
Hungary