Oliver Solberg and the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 will make their debuts at next week’s Renties Ypres Rally Belgium.
The 19-year-old will enjoy the honour of turning a wheel in Hyundai Motorsport’s all-new rally car for the first time at shakedown on Friday (August 13) morning.
“To be in at the very start of something like this is so exciting,” said Oliver. “But also, for me, to be going to a new country like Belgium is also something I’m really looking forward to.
“I think everybody knows how important rallying is in Belgium and to be going to this place, where the fans are so passionate and so knowledgeable about what we do – it’s going to be fantastic.
“I have to be honest, I did my testing in the i20 N Rally2 on snow and on gravel, so I don’t have so much experience on the asphalt. I will drive on Tarmac for the first time at the pre-event test in Belgium this weekend. I know from what the other guys have told me about the car, it’s really strong on asphalt; I’m really looking forward to finding out for myself.”
Solberg admitted the style of Renties Ypres Rally Belgium was also interesting.
“It’s cool,” he said. “It’s really cool that we’re doing something quite different from the other rallies. OK, we have done shakedown on Friday morning before, but starting a stage at nine o’clock at night? I like that! I think it’s really nice to do something new and the chance to drive at Spa [Francorchamps] circuit on Sunday is super-cool!”
Oliver will make his Acropolis Rally debut aboard a Hyundai i20 N Rally2. Talking about the September 9-12 event, he said: “One of the events my pappa talked a lot about is Acropolis. Just the name, the word Acropolis is making so much emotion.
“To have the chance to be driving in Greece when this country comes back to the World Rally Championship is something fantastic for me. My father loved this one and won it [in 2004] and then came really close to winning it again in 2012.
“But as well as the event, to drive the i20 N Rally2 is really cool. I drove the car in testing quite a lot on gravel and really enjoyed it. The car’s strong and I’m sure we’re going to have a good time when we get to Acropolis in September.”
