Petter Sooooooolllberg, Petter Sooooolllberg....

[A.F.F.]

..

I haven't heard this irritating song in a while.

All our favourite drivers have faced an era of bad luck, well all but one, but don't you guys think what Petter has gone through is ridicilous. It's not secret that the fame is vanishing here on the forum but it seem that Petter has been forgotten completely. And frankly, there really hasn't been much to tell lately.

It just got me thinking how he feels now when he as a professional athletic must know deep inside that the pace is still there and it has not disappeared anywhere but he hasn't succeeded to show it in any way. First Mikko went by him. When making pickems, it's easy to pick top three for every single gravel rally. Now it seem that Petter won't fit in top five or six even.

We all know it due the car. Or do we ?? I just can't believe how an organization experienced as SWRT can't fix the problems for Petter And at the same time, somehow Chris Atkinson is able to set up decent stage times.

I know the expectations for Petter are far more than for Atkinson. Therefore it's easy not to see what exactly Petter is able to do with that car. Maybe he also has made some decent times with Impreza but we are / I am blind for them.

One thing is for sure though. Put it anyway you want, blame him as a driver or the car or the team, he has had too much bad luck over the past few years that no-one can't compare. Not even Marcus. Some may say drivers make their own luck. It might be but Petter has had to push over the limit with invalid machinery. No wonder the rate of mistakes is huge. It's just a shame that former champion is forced to struggle like he is, not to mentioning how his absence narrows the level of competition in the highest top of WRC.

I wish Petter finally get a winning car. But I don't wish that irritating fansong back.

[Tomi]

In some tread was that he has contract until 2010, so he has to wait to get a good car quite long time, by then I guess many younger drivers are much faster already.
This long dry season maybe has effected him on the menthal side too.

[tmx]

actaully end of 2009 if i remember correctly. also i have to a disagree about atko doing better, because petter is clearly more consistent and scored more points this season.

i am losing hope because he doesn't quit swrt and i cannot see swrt coming back to take the championship anytime soon. i know that even if he quit he probably don't have any other team to go to, except suzuki maybe. and if in 2008 the new subaru doesn't come back into winning form, than i may lose all hope. his carreer would be "over", because he is getting old now spending all this time at swrt. and for me there will be ...many tiny tears.

i still believe petter is an excellent driver, because i watch his onboard cameras. he have a very precise method himself and i think his pacenotes are very good. no i don't think the younger drivers are faster, he just need a better car and regain of confidence. he cannot fight in top form for a long time, that top speed begins to wane. good thing Phil Mills is still with him until now, and he's 40yo now i think.

don't get me started about the swrt's authority figures.

[A.F.F.]

i still believe petter is an excellent driver, because i watch his onboard cameras. he have a very precise method himself and i think his pacenotes are very good. no i don't think the younger drivers are faster, he just need a better car and regain of confidence. he cannot fight in top form for a long time, that top speed begins to wane. good thing Phil Mills is still with him until now, and he's 40yo now i think.

don't get me started about the swrt's authority figures.

As do I. I do think Petter is among the fastest and don't believe the young ones are faster than him. But I wonder as you do, what has this struggling done to his confidence?? I consider him pretty much similar driver than Marcus, I want to call them as "mood-drivers". They drive as fast as it's possible in any circumstances but when they're feeling good, happy, they seem to be unstoppable.

Petter has been more than loyal to SWRT. This would be a time pay it back with winning car.

Oh, and please do start about SWRT's authority figures

[pino]

I still think P.Solberg is the 3rd best driver in WRC after Loeb and Marcus, and as posted many time, his only and main problem is the Car Hopefully soon at SWRT they will do somenthing about it...

[Helstar]

Totally right, you can compare Petter situation to Marcus when he was with 307. And if Marcus didn't switch to Ford (who happen to develope a great car) and/or Peugeot stayed in WRC with 307 or some other 'new' slow car, this thread would be dedicated to Marcus I think.

Give Petter the Focus or the C4 and you'll see him battling for victory (at least in gravel rallies, sure).

[Gard]

..

I haven't heard this irritating song in a while.

snip snip..

I wish Petter finally get a winning car. But I don't wish that irritating fansong back.

You can't have one without the other

[1LM1]

Totally right, you can compare Petter situation to Marcus when he was with 307. And if Marcus didn't switch to Ford (who happen to develope a great car) and/or Peugeot stayed in WRC with 307 or some other 'new' slow car, this thread would be dedicated to Marcus I think.

Yes Impreza seems to be a total failure. I am wondering what Loeb or Marcus could do with it while Petter in the C4 at the same time for example. I think Petter would win.

There is some truth in your comparison even if I personally still think that the couple Marcus/307 would have done better in 2006 and 2007 with proper development than the couple Petter/Impreza is doing. Remember Cyprus 2004 (and with Pirelli), Finland 2004 (Pirelli), Finland 2005 and other rallies in 2005. As for speed, it was not so bad and there was hope. There was bad luck and reliability problems at the end of 2005 (Peugeot was intentionally taking big technical risks at the end like the revolutionary gear box in Corsica which led to a withdrawal) but Marcus was closer to Loeb than Petter has been for many years now.
Ok, the 307 WRC was too difficult to drive to be the ultimate rally car but Impreza seems to be even more difficult to drive and more unpredictable.

Impreza WRC is a mystery. Prodrive and SWRT as a whole has been an enigma for at least three years now.

But

[Finni]

Ok, the 307 WRC was too difficult to drive to be the ultimate rally car but Impreza seems to be even more difficult to drive and more unpredictable.
Impreza WRC is a mystery. Prodrive and SWRT as a whole has been an enigma for at least three years now.

I agree that current Impreza (and partly last year's one; altough it was rather slow whole the time!) have been enigmatic ones because of extremely inconsistent speed. Altough I wouldn't say that same about their 2004 and 2005 models. We shouldn't forget that Petter ruled wrc with 2004 Impreza. With proper reliability he would have won almost every gravel round. And with that car he even beated Loeb and Grönholm in Sweden 2005 which was last rally for the car. 2005 model was not step ahead but it was not catastrophe - as a whole Petter paralleled Marcus + 307 (they were both out of contention often due to tyres).

I think that 2006 model was fair step back. I have heard similar assesments from inside Subaru camp. (that car wouldn't have even challanged Marcus + 307 because sometimes it was even in difficulties to beat Stohl + 307!) 2007 model might be marginally faster than 2006 model at its best (rare moment!). Unfortunately 2007 model's delivery seems to be as inconsistent as british weather. Its changing performance from leg to leg is as enigmatic as mystical. I am quite certain that Subaru's 2004 model would parrallel their current car's "best moments" easely without bad moments.

As to Petter I think that he actually was very near to Loeb's and Grönholm's pace in Mexico, Argentina, Portugal and Greece. Ultimate pace is still there. I just don't know why he has lost his confidence totally after those races and has gambled more and more with mystical set-up or mental problems.

[Finni]

I still think P.Solberg is the 3rd best driver in WRC after Loeb and Marcus, and as posted many time, his only and main problem is the Car Hopefully soon at SWRT they will do somenthing about it...

Am I right that for you Petter was the best or at least the fastest driver in 2004??? Is there anywhere acces to old discussions from 2004? I could demonstrate that Pino has changed his views like old good rally blonde! And that concerns many forumers.