What seemed like a straightforward weekend for Oliver Solberg in Rally Chile has taken a dramatic twist, throwing the WRC2 championship into disarray. Solberg, who was on track to secure the title, saw his lead evaporate after a slow puncture on stage 11 forced him to stop and change a tire. Suddenly, the championship is wide open, with rivals Sami Pajari and two Citroën drivers now circling like sharks in a bizarre, unpredictable fight for the crown.
Solberg’s path to the title was simple: win in Chile and the championship was his. But after the costly puncture, the scenario has shifted dramatically. Solberg is now a minute off the lead with only 33.5 miles of stages remaining, leaving his chances hanging by a thread. Worse yet, his championship rivals are now in prime position to capitalize.
In an unusual twist, one of Solberg’s fiercest competitors, Pajari, isn’t even competing in WRC2 this weekend—he’s piloting a Rally1 car in Chile. Yet, Pajari remains Solberg’s biggest threat. If Solberg fails to win this weekend, Pajari only needs to secure a win in Japan, his final WRC2 event, to steal the title from under Solberg’s nose. And to make matters worse, Solberg can’t prevent Pajari from doing so—he’s not allowed to enter Japan as a points-scorer.
To further complicate matters, Citroën’s Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin are both still technically in the title hunt, although their chances are slim. But thanks to Solberg’s puncture, even these long shots could drag themselves back into contention. Rossel, in particular, only needs to outscore Solberg by 10 points in Chile to stay in the race—an outcome that suddenly seems more plausible.
Gryazin, meanwhile, leads Rally Chile overnight with Rossel trailing in third. If Gryazin can stay ahead and Solberg falters to fourth, Gryazin could claw his way back into the title fight. But the Citroën camp faces its own conundrum: the two teammates might just cannibalize each other’s chances, as Rossel could eliminate Gryazin from contention if they don’t cooperate. Team orders? Unlikely. Both drivers are left to battle it out on their own terms, further muddling the situation.
“I don’t think about team orders,” said Rossel. “It’s not my job. We are two official drivers for sure.”
While Solberg battles his way back, the reality is bleak. With Pajari waiting in the wings to pounce in Japan, and both Rossel and Gryazin snapping at his heels, the WRC2 title is far from secure. It’s a championship fight where every twist and turn could rewrite the outcome.
For Solberg, the task is daunting: he must win in Chile to keep his destiny in his own hands. Anything less opens the door wide for Pajari, Rossel, and Gryazin. As the rally heads into its final stages, Solberg’s fate—and the WRC2 title—hang in the balance, with the world watching to see if the young driver can salvage his championship hopes or if one of his rivals will snatch glory from his grasp.
It’s not over yet, but the clock is ticking, and Rally Chile is proving to be a defining moment in one of the most chaotic WRC2 title battles in recent history.
