There’s been a lot of talk around the WRC about the rise of the “young guns” — drivers like Sebastien Loeb, Markko Martin, and Petter Solberg. But I think it’s unfair to lump those three together, as they’ve got very different levels of experience in the WRC.

Solberg’s first full works drive was in 2001 with Subaru (the year teammate Richard Burns won the championship). Solberg started all fourteen rallies that year, and managed to score points for Subaru in every rally he finished (roughly nine, if I recall correctly). Highlights of the year included a second place at the Acropolis Rally and fifth place at Corsica (he was holding fourth going into the final stage, but he sportingly took a time penalty to allow Burns to overtake him, thus scoring more championship points). Last year, with Tommi Makinen as a teammate, Solberg won his first rally (Great Britain) and stood on the podium on several more. Solberg credits Makinen for his win in Britain, as Tommi was quick to share advice with the young Solberg. And with the master at his side again this year, Solberg has won three rallies so far this season, all in a very mature and composed fashion.

Martin was Solberg’s teammate in 2001, though he didn’t have a full works drive, and shared the third Impreza with Toshi Arai. Martin showed glimpses of brilliance, including a points score in Finland, but he was still a future championship. Last year he secured a full works drive at Ford besides past champions Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz, and Martin learned much, but his only notable performance was a second place in Great Britain. Ford took a huge gamble with Martin, letting Sainz and McRae sign with Citroen. Martin has been quick this season, but erratic, thanks to a combination of his inexperience and the development of the latest Focus WRC.

Loeb is in first year as a full works driver with Citroen. He spent 2001 with Citroen, but it was the manufacturer’s first year in the championship, so they only ran the tarmac events, but Solberg showed flashes of brilliance then, scoring a second place finish in San Remo. In 2002, Citroen again ran a limited schedule, but Loeb made an even bigger splash with a second place in Monte Carlo (he finished the rally in first, but was assessed a time penalty, giving the win to Makinen) and a win at the debut of Rally Deutschland. And he’s been even stronger this year with Sainz and McRae at his side, winning three rallies and scoring two other podium spots.

So, apples and oranges? Somewhat. Solberg has showed that he is the most experienced of the trio, winning rallies by being consistent and mature. He’s been helped inmeasurably by his partnership with Tommi Makinen, and Makinen has been more than happy to help Solberg (in fact, when Solberg nearly destroyed his car in his shunt during shakedown this week, Makinen immediately stepped forward to offer his car to Solberg if the mechanics couldn’t get things fixed in time). Martin has showed he can be very quick, but he hasn’t been able to finish enough rallies to make a difference in the championship. Loeb has been much more solid than Martin, and has showed maturity in the cockpit beyond his years. And Loeb is still the hunt for the title, despite his mishap in Corsica. Oh, and forget all that talk about Loeb being a tarmac specialist — he’s taken podium spots on gravel rallies as well, so he will be a threat to score big points in the season finale in Britain.

Posted on 19 October 2003