Hello rally fans :)!
In the high stakes world of WRC2, points and strategy can make or break a season, but for Oliver Solberg, Yohan Rossel, and Gus Greensmith, the spirit of fair competition has led to something uniquely honorable: a gentleman’s agreement (or so we think?).
At heart, WRC2 is more than just about speed it’s a tactical game. Each driver is allowed to enter all 14 WRC rounds in a Rally2 car, but only seven of those can count toward their championship points, with the best six results forming the final total. Smart teams often play the game of choosing rallies with thinner entry lists or weaker fields to boost their points haul, fair right? There’s no rule that opposes that.
But the trio behind this agreement decided to do things differently. They want the championship to be decided head to head. So they’ve quietly coordinated their rally schedules: choosing at least four events where all three will compete against each other. That way, the title reflects genuine direct competition.
Gus Greensmith summed it up: these drivers want a “proper world champion,” someone who has beaten the best on stage not just padded their record with easy wins.
Oliver Solberg however, called out the tactic of cherry picking later events as “cowardly” when no one faces real rivals. I’ll come to this a bit later again.
“It’s not a written contract,” Greensmith explained, “but we all know the plan: race together in Portugal, Greece, Chile, plus one more. That gives legitimacy to the title”. He said for DirtFish.
Meanwhile, Nikolay Gryazin has taken a different tact, entering fewer rounds with fewer direct clashes. Solberg openly criticized that, saying he wants to know he’s beaten the rest, not just won by default.
My Take
I absolutely love this. It’s a nice example of how elite competitors can stay strategic and serious about sporting integrity. In a world where championships can be manipulated, these three drivers are choosing transparency and self regulation; inspiring stuff :).
This sounds like a gentleman’s agreement between the 3 of them but they just expect the other drivers to play ball. Gryazin can pick any of the events he wants to score points as per the rules, maybe the events Gus expects everyone to compete in didn’t suit Gryazin for whatever reason. Rallying is as much about tactics as it is about pace.
For Solberg who’s born into an established motorsport family and tests a lot, with tons of experience and knowledge to lean on, and strong connections in the rallying world it’s a bit cringe to hear so. EVERYONE has their own right to choose but it seems he only likes it when he can do it. He’ll drive a Toyota Rally1 car in Estonia (a thing any rally driver can only dream of), and still he is complaining!? I’ve been disappointed by him a lot. He’s too cocky for my liking.
But anyway that’s the essence of rallying.
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