Oliver Solberg claimed his second win of the season at Rally Chile Bio Bío, Round 12 of the WRC, putting TOYOTA GAZOO Racing on the brink of a sixth consecutive manufacturers’ title. This report covers Solberg’s resurgence after taking his first win since the season opener and the team effort that produced the result.
The 2026 WRC Round 12 Rally Chile Bio Bío reached its final day on South America’s gravel roads, with Oliver Solberg of TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team claiming his second win of the season. He led on Day 1, extended his advantage over Elfyn Evans, who was second overall, to 19.1 seconds by the end of Day 2, and held on to the lead on the final day.
Within the team, Katsuta Takamoto (勝田貴元) had recorded back-to-back wins in the first half of the season, while Evans and Sébastien Ogier had each taken 2 wins and Sami Pajari had recorded 3 consecutive wins, providing strong support around Solberg. Solberg’s victory marked a return to the winner’s circle since the season opener, further increasing the team’s prospects of contributing to a historic achievement.
Evans launched a fierce pursuit on SS13 on the final day, but Solberg set the fastest time himself on SS14 and did not allow the gap to close. On SS15, Evans damaged a tire and lost more than 2 minutes, dropping to fifth overall. Solberg’s lead consequently widened further, and he recorded the fastest time on the SS16 Power Stage to secure his second win of the season.
Following the victory, those involved said that Solberg had described driving for Toyota as a longtime dream and commented that the team had supported and believed in him. The smile on the podium expressed his gratitude to the teammates who had overcome a long period of adversity alongside him.