The debut in the FIA European Rally Championship could hardly have gone more successfully for Oliver Solberg (N) and his co- driver Aaron Johnston (GB): the duo took a surprise but well- earned victory in the Rally Liepāja (LV), the third round of the 2019 season. The 17-year-old Solberg is thus the youngest winner in European Championship history.
After 205.96 classified kilometres, Solberg and Johnston finished with a 22.7-second advantage over the reigning European Rally Champions Alexey Lukyanuk and Alexey Arnautov (RUS/RUS, Citroën). In their first rally with the Polo GTI R5 on gravel, Solberg and Johnston won ten of a total 13 special stages in emphatic fashion. “This is the best day of my life, absolutely unbelievable,” said Oliver Solberg in celebration, jumping into the arms of his father Petter Solberg, 2003 World Rally Champion.
The victory in Latvia was not only the first European Championship victory for Solberg, but also the first triumph in the European Rally Championship for the Polo GTI R5. The Solberg family already has a close connection to Volkswagen’s 200 kW (272 PS) customer racing car. “Our car has the chassis number 1 and last year my father drove it at the Rally Spain for the first time,” says Oliver Solberg. “For me it’s really special that he lets me drive it now.”
As part of the Rally Liepāja, the third and fourth rounds of the Latvian Rally Championship were held, in which Solberg and Johnston are registered as permanent competitors. The Norwegian-British duo were only beaten in the third round on Saturday by Georg Gross and Raigo Mõlder (EST/EST) in a 100 PS more powerful Ford Fiesta WRC. On Sunday, Solberg and Johnston secured victory by 32.5 seconds and continued to build on their lead in the overall standings.
24h Series European Championship
Team Autorama wins the 12-hour race in Brno
At the third round of the 24h Series European Championship, the Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing team clinched their second victory in the TCR class. In the 12-hour race at the Brno Automotodrom (CZ), the trio of Fabian Danz (CH), Kari-Pekka Laaksonen (FIN) and Antti Buri (FIN) completed a total of 295 laps in their Golf GTI TCR, holding a one-lap advantage over the second-placed Cupra TCR at the finish. “It’s been a really brilliant season so far,” Laaksonen said. “I think we all had problems with tyre wear and we tried to prolong a few of our stints so we could drive a little longer and save fuel. That is what made the difference today.”
In the overall standings of the TCR class, the Swiss Autorama team is in the lead with 56 points after winning the opening race at Mugello (I) and finishing second in Spa-Francorchamps (B). The second-placed AC Motorsport team are nine points behind. The fourth race will be held on 6 and 7 July in Portimão (P).
TCR Europe / TCR Benelux
Maxime Potty clinches podium in the Golf GTI TCR
Maxime Potty (B) has laid down a marker in the TCR Europe. At the second round of the season at the Hockenheimring (D) the 19-year-old drove to third place in the first race. “”At last, a good result and a nice race. It is just what I was waiting for,” said Potty, who had to settle for ninth place at the season opener. “The Golf GTI TCR behaved very well and I was able to keep up with the pace at the front. In the end, I played it safe and defended the podium.”
In the second race of the weekend, Potty finished sixth, improving to seventh place in the TCR Europe standings. In the TCR Benelux, which was held in Hockenheim together with the TCR Europe, Potty
