Solberg Crashes out at WRC Japan, Ogier Delivers Brutal Verdict

Oliver Solberg's Rally Japan campaign ended abruptly at SS10 after a violent tree strike, prompting a blunt and unsurprised reaction from Ogier.

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Edeh Cupe 1 hour ago

Tabrak Pohon di SS10 Rally Japan, Ogier Sebut Solberg Konyol

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Oliver Solberg's fierce challenge for Rally Japan victory came to a devastating and abrupt end during Saturday morning's Special Stage 10 (SS10) at Mt. Kasagi 2. The young Swedish driver, who had set the benchmark pace on the previous pass, was flying through the split times when his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 ran wide under heavy braking on a demanding section. The right-rear corner of the car violently struck a tree, instantly snapping the suspension assembly and folding the wheel completely underneath the chassis, forcing an immediate retirement from the leg.

The mechanical carnage not only ended Solberg's rally prematurely but also directly compromised the momentum of overall rally leader Elfyn Evans, who admitted to losing focus and time while carefully navigating past the stranded wreckage. However, the most candid and brutal assessment came from eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier. The French veteran, who inherited the fastest time on the stage, openly stated he was completely unsurprised by his teammate's costly error, dryly noting that Solberg had been taking massive, unnecessary risks throughout the morning loop and effectively pushed beyond the safety margin.

Solberg's dramatic exit heavily altered the temporary podium positions, promoting fellow Toyota driver Sami Pajari into a strong third place behind the dominant front-running pair of Evans and Ogier. Home hero Takamoto Katsuta remains firmly in striking distance in fourth, battling severe understeer as the Japanese asphalt temperatures continued to soar. Meanwhile, Hyundai's Thierry Neuville mounted a steady recovery in sixth position, expressing relief as team engineers finally resolved a persistent handbrake malfunction that had severely hindered his performance earlier in the weekend.

Solberg Crashing Repeatedly, Ogier Demands Better Risk Management

WRC JEPANG 2026 SESI: SS9

POS	RIDER / TEAM	TIME / GAP
1	Elfyn EvansToyota	Britania Raya
2	Oliver SolbergToyota	Swedia
3	Sebastien OgierToyota	Prancis
4	Sami PajariToyota	Finlandia
5	Takamoto KatsutaToyota	Jepang
6	Adrien FourmauxHyundai	Prancis
7	Thierry NeuvilleHyundai	Belgia
8	Hayden PaddonHyundai	Selandia Baru
9	Jon ArmstrongFord	Irlandia Utara
10	Nikolay GryazinLancia	Rusia