WRC only for ace Solberg

Petter Solberg will focus solely on his World Rally Championship campaign this season after postponing plans to enter the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in America next month.

The 2003 world champion had been working on a project to tackle the Colorado-based event in a self-built machine with the aim of dipping under the elusive 10-minute barrier.

Former Suzuki World Rally Team head Nobuhiro ‘Monster’ Tajima holds the current benchmark with a time of 10m01.41s, set in 2007, up the mixed-surface climb, which measures 19.98 kilometres in length, features 156 corners and reaches a peak of 4300 metres above sea level.

Solberg, currently fifth in the WRC drivers’ standings following his third place finish on Rally d’Italia Sardegna earlier this month, cited a shortage of time behind his decision to delay his entry in the event until next year.

“I really, really wanted to be there this year,” Solberg told his personal website. “However, I think we have made the correct decision and we will regrettably not go there in June. When we go there, we have one aim and that is to be the fastest. To be fastest we need to have everything else 110 per cent in shape. Since we decided to [enter], we have taken on several other projects. This has left us with less time to focus on the Pikes Peak Hill Climb project. We will be there in 2012.”

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is scheduled for 26 June, one week after Acropolis Rally of Greece.

Next stop on Solberg’s schedule is Rally Argentina, round six of the WRC, which takes place in Carlos Paz from 26-29 May. He will drive his Petter Solberg World Rally Team Citroen DS3 WRC alongside British co-driver Chris Patterson.