Solberg could reveal new co-driver next week

Petter Solberg is expected to decide early next week who will replace his former co-driver Phil Mills.

Solberg and Mills had worked together for 11 seasons, contesting 152 world championship rallies, taking 13 wins and claiming the coveted world crown in 2003, but parted company last week when Mills made his shock announcement that he would be standing down.

Since then, Solberg has been inundated with interest from would-be replacements eager to navigate the Norwegian’s privately-run Citroen C4 WRC from next month’s Rally Bulgaria onwards.

“I have to decide soon but it’s really not easy,” said the 35-year-old Solberg. “I would say I have around 20 people contacting me - all of them with good CVs. I’m surprised at the quality of co-drivers out there who want to join the team, there’s a lot of passion for the sport out there.”

Solberg revealed he had been in contact with Nasser Al-Attiyah’s co-driver, the 37-year-old Italian Giovanni Bernacchini, who once partnered Gigi Galli. “I had some contact but he has the contract already,” said Solberg. “This is the difficulty. Some of the guys have the contract for the rest of the season. But I will make a decision soon.”

Of Solberg’s 155 starts in the WRC, only three were without Mills by his side. Egil Solstad partnered him on the Swedish Rally in 1998, Solberg’s WRC debut. Cato Menkerud was his navigator on Rally GB later that year, while Fred Gallagher co-drove him on the Safari Rally in 1999.

Menkerud went on to work with Solberg’s older brother Henning but now navigates Norwegian youngster Eyvind Brynildsen in the Super 2000 World Rally Championship.

Meanwhile, Mills has yet to reveal his plans for the future beyond saying he will be spending more time with his family and working on his historic rally car preparation business, Viking Motorsport.

“My company is in motorsport and motorsport is my life so, for sure, I’ll always be around in some way but I really can’t say what I’ll be up to [in the future],” he said.