Rally Chile BioBio Solberg Takes WRC2 Lead

October 1, 2023Joe Moore
RallyWRC2

The third day of Rally Chile BioBio has come to an end. Oliver Solberg took the lead in the WRC2 class from Sami Pajari on the day.

SS7, Chivilingo 1

Oliver Solberg started the third day with a stage win. With Solberg posting a time 6.7 seconds faster than Yohan Rossel to win the stage. Jorge Martinez finished third fastest on the stage, 4.6 seconds slower than Rossel. Gus Greensmith set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2.8 seconds slower than Martinez. Emil Lindholm rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.1 seconds slower than Greensmith. 

SS8, Rio Lia 1

Yohan Rossel took home the stage win on the eighth stage of Rally Chile BioBio. Rossel would set a time 2.1 seconds faster than Gus Greensmith to take the stage win. Emil Lindholm finished third fastest on the stage, 6.2 seconds slower than Greensmith. Nikolay Gryazin posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 2 seconds slower than Lindholm. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 0.2 seconds slower than Gryazin.

SS9, Maria De Las Cruces 1

Nikolay Gryazin won the final stage of the morning loop. Posting a time 0.8 seconds faster than Yohan Rossel to take home the stage win. Gus Greensmith finished third fastest on the stage, 0.9 seconds slower than Rossel. Sami Pajari set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 4.6 seconds slower than Greensmith. Kajetan Kajetanowicz rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 1.8 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS10, Chivilingo 2

Gus Greensmith took the stage win on the first stage of the afternoon loop of Rally Chile BioBio day three. Greensmtih would set a time 0.6 seconds faster than Sami Pajari to take the stage win. Yohan Rossel finished third fastest on the stage, 3.4 seconds slower than Pajari. Emil Lindholm posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.2 seconds slower than Rossel. Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 2.5 seconds slower than Lindholm. 

SS11, Rio Lia 2

Yohan Rossel took his second stage win of the weekend on SS11. Posting a time 12.5 seconds faster than Gus Greensmith to win the stage. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 0.1 seconds slower than Greensmith. Sami Pajari set the fourth fastest time on the stage, 0.4 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Oliver Solberg rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 3.2 seconds slower than Pajari. 

SS12, Maria De Las Cruces 2

Oliver Solberg ended day three of Rally Chile BioBio the same way he started it with a stage win. Solberg would set a time 17.2 seconds faster than Gus Greensmith to win the stage and take the class lead. Kajetan Kajetanowicz finished third fastest on the stage, 2.2 seconds slower than Greensmith. Yohan Rossel posted the fourth fastest time on the stage, 7.5 seconds slower than Kajetanowicz. Nikolay Gryazin rounded out the top five on the stage, finishing 10.8 seconds slower than Rossel. 

Tire Issues

WRC1 drivers weren’t the only ones with tire issues on the third day of Rally Chile BioBio. As some WRC2 drivers also had issues. Namely the two front runners in Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg. The tires weren’t as big of an issue for the WRC2 drivers as they don’t go through tires as fast as WRC1 drivers. However, they were still affected. It seems that the Pirelli’s aren’t built to take 77 km of hot gravel a loop. 

Solberg Wins Round Two

Oliver Solberg was in a battle with Sami Pajari for the WRC2 class lead coming into today. Solberg swiftly took the class lead on SS7. However he would lose it shortly after on SS10. Solberg was able to regain the lead on SS12 to take a 25.3-second lead over Gus Greensmith into day four. Sami Pajari sits 43.9 seconds behind Solberg. However, that doesn’t mean the battle is over. As Pajari will likely look to gain back time to take his second event win of the season. While Solberg will look to also take his second and complete his first points-scoring event since Portugal.