SOLBERG RETURNS FOR RALLY MONZA

Swedish youngster Oliver Solberg will return for the World Rally Championship finale, driving a Hyundai at Rally Monza.

It will be a fourth topflight appearance this season for the 20-year-old, after he contested the Finland, Safari and Spain rallies in WRC machinery.

Solberg is set to drive the same 2C Competition Hyundai i20 WRC he has helmed so far for the season-ending event from November 18-21 in Italy.

The opportunity to test his wares amongst the best of WRC again in 2021 was a source of excitement for Solberg.

“I’m really excited to be back in the Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC for Rally Monza,” Solberg said.

“Of course, this is the last-ever event with this generation of World Rally Cars so it’s fantastic to be driving it on its ‘farewell event’ – and for that to be on the legendary Monza circuit!

“I have some good memories from Monza after finishing 2nd in WRC2 and 7th overall last year.

“The stages there are very tricky and can be dry, wet or even snowy, but we’ll go there ready for the challenge and to learn as much as we can.”

Solberg, who is the son of 2003 WRC Champion Petter Solberg, impressed on WRC debut in February with a seventh-place overall finish at Arctic Rally Finland.

Recalled in June for Safari Rally in Kenya, Solberg did not fare so well as he was forced to retire.

However, the signs were again positive when he finished seventh again in Spain earlier this month.

Appearances in 2021 have formed part of Solberg’s development as he nears a full-time factory Hyundai WRC driving role next year.

Spaniard Dani Sordo will team up with Solberg for the 2022 season, which is set to introduce the new hybrid Rally1 cars.

That means that Rally Monza will be the final rally for the current WRC machines.

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