Oliver led the ultra-competitive Rally2 category (which included all WRC2 runners) for almost half of the event. He was in the top-three times on 16 of 22 stages and won seven of them. It was another display of dominance from the Swede and his English co-driver Elliott Edmondson.
 
Predictably, the Monster Energy driver was smiling in the sunshine at the finish.
 
“I am so happy,” he said. “When we came here, we came after two really bad results in Finland [in 2021 and 2022]. I really wanted to make experience on these roads.
 
“On Friday, I was taking a little bit more time. It was my first time in roads like Myhinpää – a really big and classic stage in Finland. I didn’t want to make any mistakes and I was driving with some margin and not taking anything like the ultimate risks. 
 
“I wanted to feel my way into Finland, to take the confidence I’d been missing for the last two years. 
 
I didn’t change anything through Estonia and here in Finland, the set-up was working so well – and I could push and take time. 
 
“Everybody knows the local drivers are strong in Finland, so to come here and beat them all is something incredible for me. The fight with the Finns was so cool and this rally is so cool – always you’re battling for seconds and tenths of seconds on these amazing roads.
 
“Today was more about managing things and driving at a decent pace to get to the finish with the win.”
 
Any regrets?
 
“None at all,” smiled the winner. 
 
“OK, maybe one… maybe we should have nominated this event for WRC2 points! That’s a little bit frustrating, but I wanted to come here and find the right way with Finland. To have done that and to have finished sixth overall is something really special for me. 
 
“So, honestly, no, no regrets. Just a super-cool rally.”

Oliver Solberg’s office