Oliver has elected not to count the Jyväskylä-based event towards his WRC2 championship effort, focusing instead on furthering his experience of one of the season’s most specific challenges.
“This rally is a special one for everybody,” said Oliver. “It’s really special for our family – I grew up watching my Dad’s record-breaking run through Ouninpohja, it’s still one of the coolest places to go on YouTube!
“It’s the kind of event which goes beyond the stages; rallying is kind of a way of life in Finland and especially in Jyväskylä. Anybody who knows me knows that rallying is my way of life – so you can imagine I’m really excited about this week.
This week will only be Oliver’s third start at Rally Finland, hence the desire to build experience.
“It’s fair to say my first two attempts at this event haven’t gone completely to plan,” he said. “I didn’t finish the stages and that’s what I need to do this time. I need to get through the rally and understand more about things like the evolution of the road from the first to the second pass.
“It would be nice to win more stages this week, but the main thing is to leave with a really good understanding of Rally Finland. It’s an event which demands specific things from the car – for example you need good lateral grip as much as you need commitment and perfect pacenotes. That’s what me and Elliott [Edmondson, co-driver] are working on this week.”
Oliver Solberg’s office
