The Swede Oliver Solberg became the youngest winner of the legendary Monte-Carlo rally on Sunday at the age of 24 with his Toyota, ahead of his two experienced teammates, the Briton Elfyn Evans and the Frenchman Sébastien Ogier, marking a generational “renewal” in the World Rally Championship.
The Swede, whose first season and first rally in the premier rally1 category with the Japanese manufacturer, mastered from start to finish this four-day race and 17 timed events, including 16 on the tricky and dangerous mountain roads of the foothills of the French Alps.
“It’s the most magnificent thing I’ve done in my career,” the young man said with a smile in pretty French, pointing from the upscale port of Monaco to the building where he grew up. The son of Petter Solberg, world rally champion in 2003, won his first “Monte-Carl'” on his first participation and became the youngest winner of this renowned race created in 1911.
“I always watched racing when I was little. To win the rally for the first time is just incredible,” he said, ecstatic, in front of his Toyota GR Yaris.
Hat-trick for Toyota
Solberg completed the 2026 edition in almost 4 hours 25 minutes, with terrible weather from Thursday, leaving Evans almost 52 seconds behind and Ogier just over two minutes behind.
“It’s a top 3 for Toyota again, with Oliver who deserves a victory that he really went for in style, so nothing to say,” conceded the nine-time French world champion, a forty-year-old father seen at Toyota as a sort of mentor to the young Solberg.
The native of Gap, in the Hautes-Alpes, nerve center of the 94th Monte-Carlo, made no secret this week from AFP that it would be “difficult” to win a tenth championship and that retirement time was “approaching”.
15th podium for Ogier in Monaco
On arrival, Ogier confirmed that he would do a partial 2026 season but said he was “happy to be on the Monte-Carlo podium for the 15th time in 17” participations.
As for the Welshman Evans, 37 years old, second, and who has been vice-world champion five times, he took his “hats off to Oliver Solberg”, praising his “superb work for his first rally with the official team”.
It must be said that the young Swede led his rally with complete control, even during spectacular road trips in the snow from which he came out with panache, and a bit of “luck”, noted his competitors.
Ranking of the Monte-Carlo Rally:
1. Oliver Solberg/Elliott Edmondson (SWE/Toyota) en 4:24:59.0.
2. Elfyn Evans/Scott Martin (GBR/Toyota) à 51 ″ 8
3. Sébastien Ogier/Vincent Landais (FRA/Toyota) at 2′02″2
4. Adrien Fourmaux/Alexandre Coria (FRA/Hyundai) at 5′59″3
5. Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL/Hyundai) at 10′29″8
6. Leo Rossel/Guillaume Mercoiret
7. Takamoto Katsuta/Aaaron Johnston (JPN-IRL/Toyota) à 13′05″4
“Well done to him! I’m not a jealous person, but I would like to have my name on this list,” regretted with a smile the Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux, who finished fourth in his Hyundai.
The Northerner was aiming for a first victory at Monte-Carlo after his third place last year, but he finished six minutes behind the winner.
