Driver Oliver Solberg has decided not to participate in the World Rally Championship round in Sardinia this weekend due to health issues. Solberg, who was scheduled to compete in the 16 stages of the gravel rally, was not registered to score points in the championship this time.
Alongside his co-driver Elliott Edmondson, Solberg has been forced to withdraw before the first stage started. It was reported that Solberg suffered an allergic reaction that required medical attention. His PR team issued a statement indicating that, following medical advice, the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 was withdrawn from this round of the championship.
Solberg is currently in second place in the WRC2 standings, 10 points behind leader Yohan Rossel of Citroën, who will compete in this event. This news comes shortly after Solberg confirmed his participation in the Royal Rally of Scandinavia next month, where he will compete against his father Petter Solberg, the 2003 world rally champion.
This year's Sardinia Rally will feature a new WRC sprint rally format, designed to refresh the formats of future events. The event will begin on Friday morning with a 2.08 km shakedown in Ittiri at 08:01 local time. The competition will officially start on Friday afternoon with a 77.82 km stage at 14:33 local time. Competitors will make two passes through two stages (Osilo-Tergu 25.65 km and Sedini-Castelsardo 13.2 km) before returning to Alghero for the end-of-day service.
Saturday will include a more traditional day with eight stages totaling 149 kilometers. Similar to Friday, there will be two passes through a pair of stages to form a loop. The first pass through Tempio Pausania 12.03 km and Tula 22.61 km will start at 07:41 local time, followed by a 25-minute regrouping before the second round. Instead of returning to the service park in Alghero, teams will have a 15-minute tire fitting zone before heading to the afternoon stages, which will include two passes through Monte Lerno - Monti di Ala 25.33 km and Coiluna – Loelle 14.53 km. The day will end with service in Alghero at 20:37 local time.
