You can already tell from her surname that Pernilla Solberg is strongly connected to the sport of rallying. But the daughter of Per-Inge Walfridsson, wife of former FIA World Rally Championship champion and mother of current WRC2 category leader Oliver Solberg, is also a renowned driver, experienced navigator, manager and, most recently, the President of the FIA WRC Commission.
Motorsport is her life. And certainly not only because she married Petter Solberg. Having said that, she actually met him thanks to motorsport. From a young age, as Pernilla Walfridsson, she has always been interested in this industry and has been actively involved in motorsport. She is still involved to this day in a variety of roles. And she's tried her hand at even more of them over time.
How deep are your roots in motorsport?
It definitely started with my father. He was rallying in the 60s and 70s, he didn´t stop until 1981 when I was 8 years old. The Swedish Rally took place literally behind our house every year, rallycross was popular in the area, and back then it was common for every young person to have a machine with an engine. I have legally been driving one since I was 15. I have always been fascinated by cars and machines, which is also why I studied mechanical engineering. However, I was also into horses, I rode show jumping. Nonetheless, when I was 16, I started working for my father as a navigator in veteran classic cup with the rally car. And I was hooked. So then, at the age of 18, I got my driver's license, borrowed a Volvo 240 and took part in one of the races myself. Well, I fell in love with it, it was fantastic. So, I sold the horse and started rallying.
How did you meet Petter?
That was in 1998, I was on my way to the British RAC Rally and he came up to me on the ferry on the way there. We had seen each other a few times before at some events, but I would say that this is where it started.
Weren't you afraid of a relationship with a rally driver?
Absolutely not! I drove, he drove, it was great. It's one of my few true passions, I've always enjoyed it very much and to sharing it with someone who enjoyed it just as much as I did was the perfect combination for me. When I'm at the races I'm happy, it's the pinnacle of everything for me.
You've tried a lot of roles in motorsport. Navigator, pilot, team leader... What did you like the most?
Of course, driving itself. There's just nothing like it when adrenaline kicks in. When you catch the rhythm and it goes beautifully, it's great. I love jumps. But I have to admit that it was also great experience to manage my own team as we were heading to win the rallycross championship. It was one of the funniest things in my professional life. It was a great responsibility, but great fun at the same time.
You are also the mother of a rally driver. Did you and Petter want Oliver to devote himself to rallying from the beginning?
No, I let him try various sports, tennis, football, dance, hockey, he really loved it. Maybe if we lived closer to the ice rink and had more time to take him to practises, maybe his career would be different. But in the end, rally won it for him. Yes, he knew the environment from a young age, because we travelled with him to competitions all over the world, but he himself later decided to rally. We never pushed him anywhere in competitions, he had to make the decision, and on the contrary, he had to push us, then we helped him get a car, sponsors and so on.
As a mother, how do you handle Oliver's racing?
Sometimes, of course, it's nerve-wracking. I want him to do well in the race, but I also want him to be safe. Well, when we watch the rally with other parents, looking at the screens, listening to the commentaries, we get really nervous. But Petter is more nervous than I am (laughs). However, in this case, I'm happy for my new role with the FIA. I can focus on something else during the rally, have meetings, I'm not just sitting there in front of the screen watching him drive.
You are the president of the FIA WRC Commission. What does that entail?
I head a 12-member commission that is generally responsible for the development of our sport. Our job is to create an environment where people know they can come up with suggestions on how to improve the sport. And in all aspects, we are concerned about safety, the attractiveness of sport and its economy. I want the WRC to grow, we want more financially sustainable rules and regulations, we are looking for ways to get more young drivers into rallying, we want to attract new teams and retain the existing ones. The great thing is that there is a generally positive mood here. People realise that we need to improve, and we are all working together, the promoters, the FIA and the teams.
What would you say to young girls who, like you, are deciding between motorsport and horseback riding?
The sports are actually very similar, riding a horse or driving a car requires a lot of effort and experience. The truth is that there are not many opportunities to try this sport for yourself yet, unless you are close to it, for example, thanks to your family. But we want to change that too. Of course, we also want to attract young female pilots and navigators, but there are also many other interesting positions in rallying. It's a great world that you can be a part of in many forms. You can start out as a track marshal or help with the organization, but women can do anything in rallying. It's a beautiful sport and we want to show all girls that nothing is impossible!
