Toyota’s new driver, Oliver Solberg, is set to drive the GR Yaris Rally1 on asphalt for the first time this week as he prepares for the 2026 World Rally Championship (WRC). Just a week after the WRC Saudi Arabia, where Solberg ended the 2025 season by securing the WRC2 title and his first WRC victory at Rally Estonia, the Swedish driver and co-driver Elliott Edmondson will be back in action at the Rallye National Hivernal du Devoluy in France. This will mark Solberg’s debut in the GR Yaris Rally1 in competition since he was announced as Kalle Rovanpera’s replacement at Toyota in the WRC Rally1 lineup for 2026.
The rally, consisting of 137.47 competitive kilometers spread over 10 special stages, kicks off on Saturday and will provide an ideal opportunity to assess the performance of the GR Yaris Rally on asphalt before the season opener in Monte Carlo in January. Solberg will be using car number #99, the same number he used to win Rally Estonia last July. Speaking at the launch of the Toyota driver lineup in Japan last month, Solberg acknowledged that he still has a lot to learn and driving the car on asphalt is a key focus for him. His most recent experience driving a Rally1 on asphalt was in 2022, when he drove a Hyundai i20 N Rally1 and finished fourth at the Ypres Rally Belgium.
Solberg will not be the only driver taking part in Rally1 this weekend, as Swedish driver will also be joined by Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux, who is also gearing up for the new season by driving the i20 N Rally1. Fourmaux finished his debut season with the Korean brand last week by finishing second in the WRC Saudi Arabia behind his teammate Thierry Neuville. Additionally, former Hyundai WRC driver and two-time European rally champion Hayden Paddon will also be joining the team, driving the Hyundai i20 N Rally2. This weekend’s rally action promises to provide valuable experience for the drivers as they prepare for the challenges of the upcoming WRC season.
