Phils blog
Well, the Acropolis Rally of Greece confirmed one thing – Champagne still tastes as good as ever! In fact, when Petter and I clambered out of our Impreza WRC2007 and on to the podium in Athens last weekend, it was one of the sweetest moments we’ve experienced in a long while.
If you saw the two of us on television as we popped the corks, you’ll have seen some real joy come flooding out. Discounting the second place we earned in Portugal after the Fords were disqualified, it seems like ages since we’ve finished in top three. The result came at the end of a tough week – in fact, make that a tough month. Rallies in Argentina,Recce in Jordan, Rallies in Italy and then Greece came at us in quick succession, with a hectic testing schedule sandwiched in between.
But no-one at the Subaru World Rally Team was complaining about the workload. Everyone has been working flat-out to develop the car to a point where we could challenge at the front. Although there’s been no time to relax, the result in Greece made it all worthwhile. It meant a lot to myself and Petter and was a reward for the commitment of the boys in the team.
I got to Greece at 3am on the Monday before the rally, and started the recce 7am Tuesday morning! The recce was very hard here and the large amount of pacenote writing and rewriting meant I didn’t get much sleep on Tuesday or Wednesday nights either. The gravel stages were a combination of new roads, familiar roads and some mixtures of both. Some of the tests on legs one and two were tremendously rough, very hard on the car and crew, while leg three was much smoother and a bit of a respite.
We started the rally well, made a shrewd tyre choice and found ourselves as part of a Subaru 1-2 with Chris and Stephane at the end of the first morning. By the end of that leg, we were still looking strong in second place. Day two was harder, but although we dropped time to Marcus and Sebastien, we remained on course for a podium. Sunday was simply about consolidating our position and ensuring we delivered the result the team wanted. Naturally, there was a good party on Sunday night, hosted by our friends from Subaru of Greece.
We’re not yet in a position where we can say “We’re back!”, but there are some clear signs that everything is moving in the right direction. With plenty of opportunities to test during the long summer break, myself, Petter and the whole Subaru team want to be going to Finland aiming to finish a couple of steps higher on the finish podium…
Phil….
Phil! Thanks for your update!
Wow, just reading your blog I can truly feel the happiness you have. What a relief I think to finally get a good position after you’ve both been working so hard continuously and always something is going wrong.
I did watch your podium celebration and you sure did look happy. I also noticed you seemed scared to put down the trophy. Both you and Petter holding on longer than the others but even after Petter put his down you were holding on to yours for dear life! I thought at that moment “my goodness it has been way too long for the boys to have held a trophy on the podium!”
I also enjoyed Petter driving a bit too far and having to back up “forgetting what to do.” I hope that you both get to hold many more trophies and have more champagne in the 2nd half of the season!
I also am going to insist that I finally meet you this year! Last two years in Japan I couldn’t. So this year if I don’t get your autograph and give you a hug I’m going to scream!!!
Got that??
Love,
Viki
We are feeling the same joy
Enjoy the summer ^_^
Nice to hear your side of the story Phil! It was a fantastic result considering everything that has been happening recently. You two should carry confidence through the summer break now and this im sure will help with your testing.
I hope to see a strong return from you guys in Finland!
Enjoy your break (although i cant see you getting much rest)
Looking forward to Finland!
Dale
Nice to hear your side of the story Phil! It was a fantastic result considering everything that has been happening recently. You two should carry confidence through the summer break now and this im sure will help with your testing.
I hope to see a strong return from you guys in Finland!
Enjoy your break (although i cant see you getting much rest)
Looking forward to Finland!
Thanks for the update, Phil! We enjoyed your podium as well!
Thank you very much for all the things that you, Petter and whole teamm doing every day for to be on top and give us so wonderful moments in the last two rallies.
For me the last rally was a very great result and the beginin of the most beautiful moments in future days.
When you came to Argentina, don´t forget please the Gale´s flag for me.
Sorry for my bad English.
Congratulation dear Phil and …
GO-GO-GO-PHIL-GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Phil, thanks for updating your blog. Even reading your message i can sense that the excitement is back. We had a great weekend here on the website last weekend cheering you and Petter on in Greece, and look forward to more podiums in the second half of the season… have a good summer break, see you soon in Finland… Eileen xxxx
really :we are very very happy because we can see you and petter on the podium again .
good luck with all next rallies.
I’m thankful to Elda and to Eric for the welcome to this forum!!!!; cheers know ledge to me, that I comprises of a family who shares the suffering and the joys of rally.-THANKS!!!!! THANKS you very much !!! my dears new friends!!!! I’m very happy!!!!!
Oh dear…Sara!
It is wonderful see you here enjoying in this moment of big emotion with the last result in Greece!
Thank you a lot for help me and my family to hold in your hand the word “R” of P-E-T-T-E-R- in the Super Special in Stadium Córdoba!
I love you so much dear friend new fan!
GO-GO-GO-PETTER-GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Welcome Sara, i guess you are from Argentina too??
Hi Sara
Welkom to the Solberg-Army!
thanks to Elda ,Eric .
greetings to lovely Argentina.
Welcome Sara, and thanks Phil for your update.
We were all so happy with your podium place, too!
Roll on Finland – things are on the up for Petter and Phil!
Phil!! I’m sorry I wrote you a message the day this blog was posted… for some reason my messages are not getting posted always.. then sometimes they get posted twice..
I’m not sure what is wrong but I really wanted to tell you Congratulations.
I was so happy to see you smiling so much when I watched the podium finish on Sunday! I was laughing so much when Petter drove too far over the ramp. I thought it looked like you said to him maybe “this is too far?” I’m not sure but you looked like you started to get out and he was still driving..
Then Petter backing up was so funny with his comment about forgetting what to do!
Then on the podium I must say I thought it was cute you and Petter couldn’t put down your trophy cups. You were holding on to that for dear life! Finally I saw Petter put his down at his feet but I noticed you still holding on to you close!
Then I thought… “It has been way too long for you boys!”
I hope the 2nd half of the season will bring you many podiums and you can put those cups down without feeling like it is the last time to hold one…
You boys did a great job!!
Love,
Viki in Japan
I’m thankful to Eileen, to Harold and to Aussiefan for the welcome to this group of admirers of Solberg and his equipment. And I invite to them to contact itself with me when terefore they wishit.-
Alive in the city of Córdoba, Argentina and I got up myself to this group trough my personal friend ELDA OLIVAN to whom I thank for one and thousand times its vital optimism that infects to me daily.
I’m very happy and I wait for your communications .
And go ahead!!, go ahead!! Petter, the triumph are yours!!!!
Welcome Sara!
We hope you’ll come and visit with us often!
Love,
Viki
VIKI: I thank for the welcome to this page.-
Securely, I will visit them followed; and I hope that you communicate with me.-
Lovely.
Sara
hey all…yaaaaay we r so happy for the podium finish….good luck guys for the 2nd half of the season… im at work now bored and enjoying the comments posted by everyone
Hi Jamal!
Welcome and hope Petter’s site and all our crazy comments gives you some entertainment!
I think Petter and Phil must laugh a lot what we say on the forums!!
Love,
Viki
Welcome this forum Jamal!
Where are you from?
I´m from Argentina.
I hope enjoy all the things here.
Greetings.
hey elda…
im from Jordan cant wait to see petter and phill here next year…
Hello Petter&Phil.
Congratulate to the among the first three places! You deserved it very much already! But I hope for it you will win already soon! Many successes and I desire fruitful preparation!
I know very much Jamal how are the feeling before the rally, for that I send you many many warm hugs to you for that you can support until the rally arrive your home!
Calm down friend!
Because the moment will arrive very soon!
Good luck!
Phil
Wrong place I know but no idea where else to leave this for you.
Will be on Rally Wales GB this year so hopefully I’ll finally be able to catch up with you and Petter…it’s been ages.
scary thought for you…remember way back on Manx 94 when you were with seb Lindholm? Well think how young I was then…I’m 25 in three weeks time (arghhh!)
Hope you and the family are well and can’t wait to see you in wales in Nov/Dec…I’ll be on Recce day on Crychan…you owe me a hug!
get in touch (Rebekka1982@btinternet.com)
Becks xxx
HIYA my dear Philou!!
how r u since this long long time we didn’t see u?!
i guess u know i went to uk 3 times with my truck , it was very funny to drove on the left side of the road!
and the best was to get sun when in france it was cloudy!!
so it s a quick message just to say u thay ur 3 gap girls r still crazy of u and are sorry to not be with u more often , like before , as we ve all a job very buissing!
but take the head cool , stay the same we love and good luck for all with , crazy Pet’!!
u’ll say big hello to all the guys for us and we don’ tforgot u all , and still support u, it s for ever!!!
!Cheers, and take care
Nora…
HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!! Hope u r ok im having few mn with mum at the cyber café…. here it s ok stange summer smtms cold, and suddenly warm…but its ok , i having a job in an office near the lake…we load trucks with spring water…mum had hol’s few wks ago, it was very rainy so she could pick up lots of mushrooms called girolls i m sure u know them! / and like them, sure !!!… now back at job… so take care and as sister Nora told u above, we miss u and still support u !!!!
Cheers, lots of love , XXXX MUM AND LAÊTITIA
I just wanted to leave a belated “Happy Birthday” for Phil. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us–I love the blog and would love some more posts (hint, hint)! I’ve written a birthday tribute to you on my own blog, if you’d like to take a gander: http://amberie.wordpress.com/2007/09/04/happy-birthday-phil-mills/
There’s also a tribute to Petter, from his birthday last November:
http://amberie.wordpress.com/2006/11/18/happy-birthday-petter-solberg/
All the very, very best,
Amberie