Petter Solberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petter Solberg |
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Petter Solberg at the 2017 World RX of Germany
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| Nationality |  Norwegian |
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| Born | 18 November 1974 Spydeberg, Norway |
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| Related to | Henning Solberg (brother) Oliver Solberg (son) |
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| Current team | PSRX Volkswagen Sweden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years active | 2014 – 2018 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Car no. | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spotter | Pernilla Solberg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former teams | SDRX, PSRX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starts | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championships | 2 (2014 –2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finished last season | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIA ERX Supercar Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Car no. | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former teams | PSRX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starts | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best finish | 8th in 2013 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Petter Solberg (born 18 November 1974) is a famous Norwegian former professional rally and rallycross driver. People often called him "Mr. Hollywood" because of his exciting driving style.
Petter Solberg started his journey in the World Rally Championship (WRC) in 1998. He quickly joined the Ford factory team in 1999. The next year, he began a very successful partnership with the Subaru World Rally Team.
With Subaru, Petter became the first Norwegian to win the drivers' world title in 2003. He finished second in the championship in 2002, and again in 2004 and 2005, often battling with Sébastien Loeb. After Subaru left WRC in 2008, Petter created his own team, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team. He drove different Citroën cars. In 2012, he returned to the Ford factory team.
In 2013, Petter switched to rallycross. He made history in 2014 by becoming the very first winner of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. He won the title again in 2015! Later, he teamed up with Volkswagen Motorsport to form the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team. They won the Team's Championship in both 2017 and 2018. Petter retired from full-time racing after the 2018 season.
Petter's son, Oliver Solberg, is also a rally driver. They have even raced together in events like the Race of Champions.
Contents
Petter's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Motorsport
Petter Solberg started young, winning a remote control (RC) car championship at age 13. His parents, Tove and Terje, loved motorsport, especially bilcross (a fun, low-cost Norwegian rallycross). Petter helped rebuild race cars on their farm before he was old enough to drive.
He entered his first bilcross race just three days after his 18th birthday. He quickly became a Norwegian champion in both rallycross and hillclimb in 1995 and 1996. In 1998, he won the Norwegian Rally Championship.
His Time in WRC
World Rally Championship (WRC) teams soon noticed Petter's talent. In late 1998, he joined the Ford Motor Company as a junior driver. He surprised everyone by finishing 5th in the tough Safari Rally in 1999, scoring points for Ford.
Joining Subaru and Becoming a Champion
In 2000, Petter moved to the Subaru World Rally Team. His first podium finish (top three) was at the Acropolis Rally in Greece in 2001. He even helped his teammate, Richard Burns, win the championship that year.
In 2002, Petter won his first WRC event at the Wales Rally GB. Then, in 2003, he entered the final race, the Wales Rally GB, with a chance to win the championship. He won the rally, becoming the first Norwegian to win the World Rally Championship title!
Challenging for the Title
In 2004, Petter won five rallies, including his third straight Wales Rally GB. However, he couldn't beat Sébastien Loeb, who became the champion. In 2005, Petter started strong, winning two of the first three events in Sweden and Mexico. But Loeb again proved too strong, and Petter finished second in the championship. His last WRC victory was at the Wales Rally GB in 2005.
Later Years in WRC
Petter continued with Subaru in 2006 and 2007, but the team struggled with their car. Despite some podium finishes, they couldn't consistently challenge for wins. In 2008, Subaru introduced a new car, the Impreza WRC2008, and Petter finished second at the Acropolis Rally.
At the end of 2008, Subaru left the WRC. Petter and his co-driver, Phil Mills, were without a team. They decided to create their own private team, the Petter Solberg World Rally Team. They raced a Citroën Xsara WRC in 2009, and Petter achieved some amazing podium finishes as a private driver. Later, he switched to a Citroën C4 WRC.
In 2010, Petter continued with his own team, driving a Citroën C4 WRC. He had a fantastic season, finishing on the podium many times and ending up third in the overall championship. In 2011, he drove a Citroën DS3 WRC.
In 2012, Petter returned to the factory Ford World Rally Team. He had a strong season, earning several podiums and finishing fifth in the championship. After this, he decided to take a break from WRC.
Rallycross Success
In 2013, Petter tried a new type of racing: rallycross. He competed in the FIA European Rallycross Championship with his own team.
Becoming World Champion
In 2014, Petter made history by becoming the first-ever FIA World Rallycross Champion! He won five races and had nine podium finishes. This made him the first driver to win FIA World titles in two different motorsports (rally and rallycross).
He successfully defended his World RX title in 2015, winning three more races.
PSRX Volkswagen Sweden Team
In 2017, Petter joined forces with Volkswagen Motorsport to create the PSRX Volkswagen Sweden team. They quickly became very strong in World RX. Petter won his last World RX race at Lydden Hill in 2017. His team won the Team's Championship, and his teammate, Johan Kristoffersson, won the driver's title.
In 2018, the team continued their amazing success, winning the Team's Championship again. Over 2017 and 2018, PSRX won 19 out of 24 events, showing incredible dominance.
Farewell Tour and Family Racing
Petter retired from full-time racing at the end of 2018. However, he went on a "Farewell Tour" in 2019, racing in some of his favorite events. He set speed records, won the Gymkhana Grid event, and even had one last class win at the 2019 Wales Rally GB.
Since then, Petter has been a big supporter of his son, Oliver Solberg, who is now also a rally driver in the World Rally Championship. In 2022, Petter and Oliver won the Race of Champions' Nations Cup together for Team Norway.
Gymkhana Grid Wins
Petter Solberg also showed his skills in Gymkhana Grid events. He won the AWD (All-Wheel Drive) class in 2016 with a Citroën Xsara. In 2019, he won the event again in Warsaw, driving a Volkswagen Polo.
Petter's Life Outside Racing
Petter Solberg grew up in Spydeberg, Norway. His older brother is Henning Solberg, who is also a rally driver. Petter is married to Pernilla Solberg, who was also a top female rally driver. Her father, Per-Inge Walfridsson, was a famous rallycross champion. Petter and Pernilla have a son, Oliver Solberg, who is now following in his father's footsteps as a rally driver. The family lives in Mitandersfors, Sweden.
After his racing career, Petter was diagnosed with ADHD.
Petter's WRC Victories
Petter Solberg won 13 rallies during his World Rally Championship career:
| No. | Event | Season | Co-driver | Car |
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| 1 |  58th Network Q Rally of Great Britain |
2002 | Phil Mills | Subaru Impreza WRC02 |
| 2 |  31st Cyprus Rally |
2003 | Subaru Impreza WRC03 | |
| 3 |  16th Telstra Rally Australia |
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| 4 |  47ème Tour de Corse – Rallye de France |
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| 5 | 59th Wales Rally of Great Britain |
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| 6 |  34th Propecia Rally New Zealand |
2004 | Subaru Impreza WRC04 | |
| 7 |  51st Acropolis Rally |
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| 8 |  1st Rally Japan |
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| 9 | 60th Wales Rally of Great Britain |
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| 10 |  1º Supermag Rally d'Italia Sardinia |
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| 11 |  54th Uddeholm Swedish Rally |
2005 | ||
| 12 |  19º Corona Rally México |
Subaru Impreza WRC05 | ||
| 13 | 61st Wales Rally of Great Britain |
Images for kids
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Petter Solberg at the 2017 World RX of Germany
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Solberg at the 2001 Rally Finland.
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Solberg at the 2005 Cyprus Rally.
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Solberg interviewed during the 2006 Rally Australia.
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Solberg with his Subaru Impreza WRC2007 at the 2007 Rally GB.
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Solberg with the new hatchback Impreza WRC at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
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Solberg driving a Citroën Xsara WRC at the 2009 Cyprus Rally.
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Solberg in SS3 "Lubnitsa", 41st Rally Bulgaria, 2010
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Solberg at 2011 Rally Sweden.
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Petter Solberg at 2011 Acropolis Rally.
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Solberg won the first FIA World Rallycross Championship with his PSRX Citroën DS3 Supercar.
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Petter Solberg leads Johan Kristoffersson at Lydden Hill RX 2017
See also
In Spanish: Petter Solberg para niños
