The 2015 World RX of Belgium holds a special place in the memory of double FIA World Rallycross Champion Petter Solberg and also for the fans too, as the Norwegian driver looks to fightback at this years event.
Last year Solberg set the event ablaze after a jump start in his semi-final race. What was to follow was quite simply an epic driver by the former WRC Champion who would set fastest lap and take two joker laps to secure himself a place in the Supercar final.
“I don’t forget this track [Belgium] in a hurry,” said the FIA World Rallycross Championship leader. “Sometimes in your life, there is something special and this race last year was special. I made a jump start in the semi-final and was told I had to make two joker laps. I remember everybody was walking around with these long faces, it was like our final was over before it had started. I got into the car, stayed really calm, got my head down and drove as hard and as fast as I could. I was totally flat-out. I gave it absolutely everything and, after doing the joker lap twice, I finished in second place to secure a place in the final. Trust me, that was unbelievable.”
Whilst the Belgian circuit holds good memories for him, the Norwegian has already put behind him the nightmare of the World RX of Hockenheim last weekend, where he experienced engine issues in the semi-final after contact and this also saw him limp home to fourth place in the final, behind EKSRX rivals Mattias Ekstrom and Topi Heikkinen, along with as American driver Ken Block.
“What happened in Germany is done, finished. I’m always a very positive person, always finding the good things to come from the situation. We didn’t win the final on Sunday, but we stayed in the lead of the championship,” explained Solberg. “With the problems we had, I think you could say that we got out of jail a little bit. This week’s about staying out of trouble. Once again, the PSRX team has worked so hard. After the race, we stripped the car completely, everything was checked down to the fuel lines, wiring harness, everything and now we’re confident for this race.
