Gronholm: WRC Entering Solberg and Toyota Era

WRC, Sportrik Media - Marcus Gronholm believes the World Rally Championship is entering a new era defined by Oliver Solberg and Toyota, following the Swedish driver’s extraordinary start to his top-level WRC career with the Japanese manufacturer.

As a two-time world champion and the figurehead of Peugeot’s dominant spell in the early 2000s, Gronholm’s assessment carries significant weight. His place among the most successful drivers in WRC history lends authority to a statement that suggests a major shift in the championship’s competitive landscape.

The numbers underpin Gronholm’s view. Solberg has started his WRC career with two victories from two starts in the GR Yaris Rally1. While such a record is unlikely to be sustained indefinitely, it has been enough to convince many within the paddock that a potential generational talent has arrived.

“Oliver Solberg did a phenomenal job to win Rally Monte Carlo, and I think he’s a generational talent like Kalle Rovanpera is,” Gronholm said in his exclusive column. By placing Solberg in the same category as Kalle Rovanpera, Gronholm framed the discussion in terms of long-term era-defining potential rather than short-term form.

Gronholm also highlighted the importance of Toyota’s management decisions, singling out Team Principal Jari-Matti Latvala for identifying the right moment to promote Solberg into a full Rally1 programme.

“Jari-Matti made the best decision to sign Oliver for Toyota,” Gronholm said. “Oliver has done everything young drivers need to do when coming up – crashes, mistakes, junior categories – and now I think he is ready to go all the way and fight for the title.”

Beyond raw speed, Gronholm stressed the importance of the environment surrounding Solberg. In his view, maintaining stability and avoiding unnecessary external pressure will be crucial in determining whether Solberg can convert early success into sustained dominance.

“If someone isn’t in his ear feeding him nonsense and making him completely crazy, then I pretty much think we are entering the Oliver Solberg and Toyota era,” Gronholm added.

Solberg now heads into Rally Sweden as the championship leader, carrying the additional pressure and expectation that comes with that status. He is also chasing a significant national milestone, aiming to become the first Swedish driver to win the event since Kenneth Eriksson in 1997.

“If I’m not wrong, he’ll be flying once again in Sweden,” Gronholm said, expressing confidence in Solberg’s ability to perform on home roads despite the weight of expectation.

For the WRC as a whole, Solberg’s emergence alongside Toyota signals a clear generational transition. A young driver with proven pace, supported by a stable and competitive manufacturer programme, represents a combination capable of reshaping the championship hierarchy.

Whether this marks the beginning of a prolonged period of dominance remains to be seen, given the inherent unpredictability of rallying. However, with two wins from two starts and the backing of Toyota, Oliver Solberg has already provided the strongest indication yet that the WRC may be on the cusp of a new defining era.