Oliver Solberg is hoping his family-run team can fix his badly damaged Volkswagen Polo in time for the start of Rally Fafe Montelongo tomorrow after he crashed heavily in shakedown this afternoon.
The ERC1 Junior Championship leader reported running wide on gravel that had been dragged onto to the 3.30-kilometre stage before hitting a tree.
Both Solberg, who turned 19 last month and has two outright FIA European Rally Championship victories to his name, and co-driver Aaron Johnston were both uninjured in the crash.
“It was a tight right,” Solberg told ERC Radio’s Julian Porter. “It was gravel on the exit which I didn’t expect so early so I came in and I didn’t hit the line correctly and I slid off into the trees. It looks worse than it felt anyway.”
Solberg’s team is now hard at work repairing the Swedish driver’s Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, in time for the start of the rally tomorrow.
“I have many autocross mechanics, and a welder so hopefully it will be okay,” Solberg said. “The most important thing is the roll cage is okay, I hope, it looks good so far.”
He continued: “I have to learn, that’s how it is, you can’t complain. It’s my mistake so I have to see what happens and now I know for the next time what the dangers are and just learn from it.”
By: ERC
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