Sport and family are not separate. Matthew Wilson (Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team) is guided by his father, Malcolm Wilson, who is team principal and director of M-Sport. There are family links in marathon running: with Russian twin sisters and Bulgarian brothers.
Even competition between siblings is not rare: Serena and Venus Williams (tennis players) regularly face-off on tennis courts around the world. And, in rallying Petter and Henning Solberg battle each other every other weekend in their rally cars…WRITES EVAN ROTHMAN.
Petter Solberg is the younger of the two brothers, and is the 2003 World Rally Champion. Henning is also a household name throughout Europe thanks to his impressive driving skills in Norwegian rally events.
Like Petter, Henning started his career in rallycross events, and then changed to rallying in the mid-1990s. In 1999 and 2003, he won the Norwegian Rally Championship for five years in a row!
Entering WRC events as a privateer, Henning was asked to join Bozian Racing for the 2004 WRC season. Competing in a Peugeot 206 WRC, in his first event, the 2004 WRC Rally Sweden, Henning drove home to sixth place to claim his first points in WRC. This result remained his season-best in 2004. For 2005 he was snatched up by the BP Ford World Rally Team, and contested several events alongside team-mates Toni Gardemeister and Roman Kresta.
The following year Henning partnered Manfred Stohl at OMV Peugeot Norway World Rally Team driving a Peugeot 307 WRC in 12 of the 16 rounds. He took his first podium position at the WRC Rally Turkey, and scored consistently throughout the season to finish off eighth in the overall WRC Drivers’ standings.
In 2007 to present, Henning joined the Stobart VK M-Sport Ford Rally Team. He added another podium finish to his career tally, and missed on another three due to mechanical retirements. He has, to date, competed in 75 WRC events, has 25 stage wins to his name and accrued a total of 17 WRC points. Henning is renowned for his fast yet consistent pace, and his witty sense of humour. With a few more steady results this season, another podium finish is realistic!
ALL IMAGES: STOBART MOTORSPORT
Article supplied and written by EVAN ROTHMAN / HANDBRAKES & HAIRPINS
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