Oliver Solberg Takes Early Lead at Rally Italia Sardegna

Toyota's Oliver Solberg won the opening stage of Rally Italia Sardegna to take the early lead in the final round of the WRC season. The world championship title will be decided on the Mediterranean island this weekend, with Solberg standing as one of three contenders alongside teammates Elfyn Evans and Sami Pajari.

Defending winner Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) finished second in the curtain-raiser, 0.8 seconds off the pace, while championship leader Evans came in third, 1.1 seconds behind Solberg.

The 2.21-kilometer super special stage in Ittiri offered only a brief preview of the grueling terrain awaiting the crews through Sunday. Friday's itinerary includes six speed tests—three stages run twice—with the longest spanning over 23 km.