It may have been 21 years since Petter Solberg won his World Rally Championship in 2003, but the fire to compete still burns within him.
He retired from full-time action in 2018, just a five years on from becoming the first man to win an FIA title in two different motorsports.
One of the highlights of his part-time career since then was partnering with his son Oliver, and winning the Race of Champions Nations Cup in 2022.
Now he looks set to return to action with a rally in Ireland this October, where he will receive the chance to drive some new machinery.
Petter Solberg ‘very excited’ to drive Land Rover Defender
Solberg will drive a Bowler Motorsport-built Land Rover Defender in the Clare Forestry Rally on Saturday October 5.
Speaking to DirtFish about the six-stage, 43-mile gravel rally, he mentioned his excitement for the event, which takes place in Ireland.
READ MORE: Sami Pajari admits feeling ‘a bit sorry’ for 35-stage winner after latest Toyota WRC announcement
“I never drove this car,” he said. “Of course, I have seen them on the road and they look very cool, but it’s going to be interesting to see how Bowler Motorsport’s work has made the rally car.
“I did hear from DirtFish that the car’s very exciting to drive, I saw some pictures of David [Evans] in it – the guy next to him looked very scared!
“You know me, I’m always excited to be in the driving seat. This is something completely new, a new rally, new roads and a new car. It’s going to be a big challenge, but thank you to Castrol for making it happen. Now let’s have some fun.”
The legend of Subaru-era Petter Solberg
Solberg made his World Rally Championship debut in 1998, and had to wait three years before claiming his first victory in the 2002 GB Rally.
Strangely, he competed in the sport for 15 consecutive seasons but claimed all 13 of his wins in a three-year period between 2002 and 2005.
He was unlucky not to defend his title in 2004, despite scoring 10 more points than he had achieved the year before.
READ MORE: Two-time WRC champion set to return to full-time seat for the 2025 season
He re-appeared in 2018 and 2019 to make one-off appearances on the world stage, and competed in his last ever rally in 2019.
Aged just 49, he still has the competitive bug, and competing in the penultimate round of the Defender Championship will be his first real outing for a few years.