GYPSY TALES

Chapter 419

Pernilla Solberg

25 Aug 2026 · 2h 17m

With Pernilla Solberg

Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTube

Jase Macalpine sits down with Pernilla Solberg for Chapter 419 of the Gypsy Tales Podcast to tell the story behind one of rally's most influential families. Pernilla never wanted to be the best female driver. She wanted to be the best driver, period.

When one competitor told her that if she ever beat him, he'd put his helmet on the shelf, that's exactly what she did. Pernilla raced against the boys in Sweden throughout the late '90s, met Petter Solberg at Rally GB in 1998, and retired at 28 to raise their son Oliver, now a WRC driver in his own right. Today, she runs the Solberg motorsport operation, serves as President of the FIA World Rally Commission, and holds board seats across five family car companies.

In this chapter, Pernilla gets into what it takes to run a rally team, why a Rally1 car can now cost $1.5 million with few buyers lining up, how modern PR is stripping motorsport of its biggest personalities, and why a new WRC owner could be days away from being announced. Plus, the sim racer who beat everyone with a Logitech taped to his kitchen table, the Norwegian Prime Minister who wrote Petter a letter about his swearing, and why Pernilla believes YouTube, not TV, has become the biggest engine in motorsport.

Photos 6

Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo Pernilla Solberg — Gypsy Tales episode photo

Chapters 26

  1. 0:00Intro
  2. 3:37Growing Up Around Swedish Motorsport
  3. 9:35The Lando Norris Ice Session
  4. 11:32Starting Rally At 16 With Her Dad
  5. 14:47SOTA Fuel Ad
  6. 15:26The First Race In A Volvo 240
  7. 19:45The Guy Who Put His Helmet On The Shelf
  8. 24:24The Sim Racer Who Won With A Logitech
  9. 28:36Stepping Up To A Mitsubishi Evo 3
  10. 32:05Meeting Petter At Rally GB 1998
  11. 37:07Retiring At 28 To Have Oliver
  12. 41:36Getting Oliver Into Cross Karts
  13. 52:54The Call That Subaru Was Leaving
  14. 57:13AG1 Ad
  15. 59:00Starting A Rally Team In Five Weeks
  16. 1:07:21The Muzzling Of Modern Motorsport
  17. 1:16:29Petter Told Off By The Norwegian Prime Minister
  18. 1:22:53Rally 1 Cars Now Cost $1.5 Million
  19. 1:33:57YouTube Is The World's Biggest TV Channel
  20. 1:36:19Brunt Workwear Ad
  21. 1:37:52If Championships Went All-In On YouTube
  22. 1:44:34Women In Motorsport
  23. 1:53:56Can Oliver Be A World Champion
  24. 1:57:48Favorite Rallies On The Calendar
  25. 2:03:35Building A Rally Car From Scratch
  26. 2:13:07The Vision For WRC Follow the Gypsy himself

From this episode

All episodes