Phil Mills to leave PSWRT
After 11 years as Petter Solbergs codriver, Phil Mills has decided to leave the codriver seat and concentrate on other parts of life.
Phil Mills quote:
-This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make but I feel the time has come to now concentrate on other parts of life. We have competed on 152 WRC events together over the past 11 years and it has become more of a way of life rather than a job. I have enjoyed every single kilometre through the highs and lows that came along and I am sure Petter will win many more events in the future given the right circumstances. I will miss the whole wrc scene very much and wish Petter and the team very great success in the future.
Petter Solberg quote:
- Phil is leaving the team, and I feel really sad about it. I think it will be very difficult to find a codriver with his skills, to join me in my car again. We have been together for so many years, in fact I’ve had him by my side through most of my career, so this is a tough break up for me. Looking back on what we have achieved together, I feel especially sorry as I was sure our next win would happen this season and I was hoping to have Phil by my side when it happens. He has been the one that has meant the most for me through my career. Our relationship must have been the strongest relationship between driver and codriver ever!
The team has not made any decision regarding a new codriver yet.
Phil this is a hard dissision but we understand.
thank you very much for all those years ,all moments into the car and special the titel of the wrc championship we will never forget you.
Phil thank you very very much and wish you all the best in what ever you do. grt harold.
Petter you will miss a man next to you that brings you so far this is also hard for you i wish you all the best to find a co driver like Phil.
who brings you also all what Phil brings.good luck Petter.
It’s always sad to see such long term team to split like this, but sometimes there are times when such tough decisions must be taken. All I can wish is the best of luck for Phill, in this new special stage of his life.
As for Petter, I’m sure he’ll get someone right for the job. Where can I apply for the spare seat??? :D
Thanks immeasurably for all your years in the right seat, Phil! I will miss your unique calling of the notes. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Petter: It will be hard to fill the shoes of the Welshman, but we all know you will come up with something. Looking forward to the future outings of PSWRT!
Wow, i didn’t see this coming.
Well as for Phill; i hate to see you go, but i think you know best what’s good for you. It’s safe to say that this is just as hard for you as for the fans and for the team. I wish you all the best, and secretly hoping that one day you will return.
As for Petter; ………… i can’t imagine how you must feel. I would understand if you skip a round or two to prepare with somebody else. Good luck to you both.
This was really sad to hear… I can’t really imagine not hearing Phil’s comments on the rally radio. A part of the precious WRC identity we are so used to and appreciate now into the history books. This is like losing Marcus Grönholm a few years back.. a fantastic character.. Now we lose Phil Mills, an equally fantastic character and awesome personality. You will be deeply missed! I hope we will see you around in the service park still now and then, and that you will not disappear completely.
Oh! Shock!!
I hoped to meet Phil and Petter at Rally Japan again…
But that my hope will not be…
Good luck for Pill’s new future!
And I hope to Petter will get new great Co-driver!
veldig synd. dere var det beste paret i hele vm sirkuset.
håper du finner en god erstatter. f.eks cato menkerud
Very sad to hear you are leaving Phil, the PSWRT won’t be the same with out you, Thanks for many years of entertainment, and always taking the time to stop for a Photo or say hello at events, you’ll be missed, Best of luck for the future.
What???!!!?? I really surprised me :(
That’s a big loss for everybody, the team, Petter… but that’s life.
I wish you Phil a great life outside of WRC. You have choosen the best for you, good luck ;)
I don’t want to sound angry, it is sad, but you had given us great moments of joy, so you deserve to decide to relax and live your life ;)
Sad to hear you’re leaving, It has been awesome watching you and Petter through the years. Best wishes in your future endeavors and God bless.
Wow! I am devastated! I was only chatting to Phil a week or so ago in Portugal! Petter and Phil have been a great partnership and PSWRT and WRC wont be the same without you Phil. However, life moves on and I wish you every success and happiness for the future.
Petter…time to re-group! I wish you success in finding someone to join you in the car!
noooooooooo you cant leave… :(
:(
Suerte Phil y suerte Petter
A sad day for WRC :(
Thx Phil, and good luck in your ‘new’ life
Thank you Phil for your time, patience and understanding, you are a real gentleman and the perfect partner for Petter. You will be sadly missed by all of us but we wish you good fortune in whatever you do.
Thanks
Kate
I’m going to miss the onboards with phil! He is the best Co-driver in the world, very sad news but I understand it. I wish him all the best!
Petter, Good luck in the future without phil!
Oh Phil…..I can NEVER imagin Petter’s racing car without you ! I know I have to accept your decision but it’s really hard. You are the greatest codriver. I will NEVER forget how you were nice to fans in Rally Japan. Thank you very much.
I do hope you have a wonderful life. Good luck !
Wow, that was out of the blue…. obviously somethings up as Phil is leaving mid season. Very sorry for both of them but wish both all the best in their futures. Still fondly remember their WRC crown, the card my daughter sent and the goodie bag Subaru kindly sent her.
This will mean an extra burden on Petter and I fear for his WRC future.
All the best guys.
Tomas
Oh Phil! I can’t imagine you not co-driving for Petter!!! I miss you already!!! I wish you all the best in your future!!!
Love, Viki
Phil please dont leave now at this time of the season,wait till wales rally GB so we your fans can give you a proper send off.you know i’m talking sense.
Kris from Wales :(
This is so sad. I was looking forward that first win of 2010 with the classic duo. Why the hell Phil Mills didn’t wait for the end of this season? Something really important must have happened. That’s up to him. Concentrate in other parts of life in the middle of a fantastic season?? It’s a shame. Keep it up Petter.
Im gonna miss Phil in WRC and his voice :(, good luck to both of you guys.
good luck phil.thank you.
thanks for everything,good luck in your new life. You are my model of person referred to the rally and also of life, I hope to be a good co-driver like you when i am bigger. I miss you so much.
Ohhhhhhhh…my God!!!! I cannot think that this really has happened!!!!!
Dear Phil, we wish you have many successes in your future life because you deserve the best thing. Always you were an icon in the WRC, showing us a true gentleman, your respect to all the team, to all the journalists, offering the people all the answers and photos with your patience that has always characterized to you in spite of the pressures and worries that the rallies have. You also have characterized by the excellence in all relevant to your work and I think all the team will missed you your style and perfection of your things.
I want that you know that we are all very sad with your decision of retirement and we are going to miss you more than you can imagine.
Best regards.xoxoxox
Elda and family.
well it been great marshaling for phil and petter at the wales rally. its been fantastic to see them together and the team we are all proud of Phil in wales and he will be known as the best co driver in rally history . my i say good luck to you phil and your family you will be missed .and good luck to you all at the team we will continue to support you and cheer on its a sad day for rally but a fresh start for phill .from lee stanton at port Talbot motor club
Wow! I wasn’t expecting this.
Phil – Thanks for giving us 11 years of your life with Petter. It’s been beautiful! Your style, determination and loyalty will be missed very much. Keep us informed if you can on how things turn out.
Petter – good luck! You’re going to need it! I have faith in you though. If anything is true it’s that you’re a fighter and determined to win. I know you’ll find someone for that seat who can help you make the podium.
Phil why ? :( Petter good luck !!
Very shocking news.
I wake up every morning with phill pacenotes sound in Ouninpohja 2004 when you got the stage record in a very flat out pass trhough.
The sound of those pacenotes are allways gonna be in my head. It’s gonna be quite weird looking into Petter’s co-driver seat without Phill.
You made a very good complement.
I thing this is gonna be a new page in Petter’s career, to clean out from previous mistakes and lern from all the huge amount of good things next to Phill.
Thanks a lot Phill and go Petter go!!!!
I really can not believe this news….I hope that news is not true…
please why that phill????????//
We used that you are one person…or we know that you are one person..Does not exist the first without the second..petter is phill and phill is pettr..
Impossible to leave “phill”.I was always rejoice when see you with some
soory all..maybe my english is very bad i know that …I really can not imagine this…..I am really very sad…Today I’ve been hilarious ” happy”the beginning of World Cup
but now …..really i am not happy …i am very very saaaaaaaaad
I hope to sleep and woke up, I find Petter with phill again
that is my dream ….really that is my dream
Petter and Phil….for the last time in the foreseeable future, I will congratulate you for all of your achievements and thank you for the contributions you have both made to motoring in general.
Phil….best of luck in the future in all of your endeavors. You are easily one of THE most memorable voices in rallying over the last fifteen years. Thank you. You will be missed.
Petter….while it’s a setback….you know full well the PSWRT will forge ahead and continue it’s steady descent to the top. When that next victory comes, you can certainly still share it with Phil.
Good luck guys! Still excited about the PSWRT team’s future!
Oh No! This is very very sad news…
I know that we all should understand about Phil’s dicision… but it is so hard. I will miss Phil very much.
…OK, Thank you very much for your performance all this time, and I wish you good luck in the future, Phil.
Petter, I am very sorry about that. I appreciate your feelings.
I hope that you will find 2nd best co-driver (best have been Phil…) and win the center of podium in the very near future.
Cheer up, Petter! Zenkai!!!!
Well as they say, all good things must come to an end. Good luck, and God bless. Rally will not be the same without you!
Petter,
I’m sure you will find another competent Co-Driver, though you will be hard pressed to find someone you gel with quite like Phil. Use this new challenge to climb back to the top, and let the world know that Petter Solberg is BACK!
Wow, what a shock…Phil – Thank you! It’s been a pleasure to meet you a few times over the past several years, and all the very best for your future. I’m sure you know you will be sorely missed. Petter, good luck with your search for a new ‘right hand man’.
i cant belive this news and im totally shocked however i respect phill and realise things do come to an end at some point. All the best phill and hope everything goes well for you you will be hugely missed by all! I suppose another new chapter beings for Petter . Good luck Petter and the Solberg Army is behind you!!!!
Matt
WRC simply won’t be the same without Phil Mills. This news has come as a real shock and I sincerely wish Phil and his family all the very best for the future and hope to see him in some other capacity in motorsport. I’ve always been a huge fan of Petter and Phil and I really can’t imagine Petter Solberg without Phil Mills. Phil and Petter are a genuine team whose personalities are perfectly balanced to make a winning formula – Phil’s calm control and organisation with Petter’s charisma, energy and drive.
I’d like to say a sincere THANK YOU to Phil Mills – you are a real ambassador for the sport.
And to Petter – wow – not sure what to say – you must be absolutely devastated. I wish you all the very best for the future and sincerely hope you can get over this and continue. This is a really sad day, and a real blow to the whole WRC.
我告诉自己用中文和菲尔道别。
很伤心很伤心，一直看到这俩哥们儿并肩作战了这么多年，却要分开了
甚至一度眼眶湿润
为什么要这样呢？
为什么在这个时候？
谢谢你菲尔，但是还是希望皮特你要努力！
要争气！
你永远是我所期待的，不论如何，你都停留在我的WRC的所有期望之中！
hei! ønsker phil alt godt, håper du får tak i en like dykktig kartleser som han var/er. god sommer :-)
An absolute master of his trade, it’s a shame to see Phil hang up his pace notes. As a Welshman myself, it’s been a blast to see such a great sportsman over the years.
Phil, the sport of rallying will miss you, the fans will miss you and Petter will miss you. Good luck in you next adventure in life and thanks for the thrills and spills both you and Petter have given us.
Petter, take time to build a rapport with your new co-driver and then take a win. We all want to see you at the top again, keep positive.
I will miss the “titans”, “don’t cut”, “three sixtyyyy”…
Shocking to hear that Phil’s retiring. I taught the he will retire with Petter. I guess he has his reasons.
Petter, I would like to fill in Phil’s seat. I have welsh blood and have been co-driving for the past 15 years.
It a long shot. Anyway all the best to the team. I am very sure that you will this year.
so sad but just remember all the good times they had and howp they stay good frends
Phil, As everyone else has said… Shocking and sad news! WRC wont’t quite be the same without you – and not having a Welsh guy at the top of the sport any more will be such a shame. Don’t know who could replaceyou either!
But good luck for the future, and all the best with whatever you get up to!
end of an era…..thankyou phill for all the great memories and i hope to see your rally car production work on the stages soon…..most memorable pace note LEFFT ARFFFF LOOWNG!
One word……GUTTED
Sad to hear this….will miss your voice in the WRC. Good luck for the future Phil. And come on petter lets have a win this year.
hvorfor slytter han fra petter solbergs world rally team
Wow! Place won’t be the same without you Phil. Shame I didn’t see you in NZ.
Good luck Phill you are a very good codriver, Petter you can callme for a codriver jajaja
I’m only commenting now, but still dont know what to write… its hard to imagine Petter without Phil, im still in shock…
Phil you will be sadly missed sitting next to Petter as a fan from Perth W.A You always had time talk & you are a ture champion forever, might be time to write that book. Enjoy the more time with the family now good luck
This is sooo sad; i cannot believe it :(
we’ll miss you Phil :(
greetings from Argentina to both of you :)
Phil te vamos a extrañar mucho.
Mucha suerte en lo que vayas a emprender.
Desde Argentina los mejores deseos para vos.
We gonna miss u Phil! Everything good for u!!!! Hope u get a good new co-driver Petter,but Phil is big lost!! Sorry for u Petter.
All da best!
We will miss you! Do come back for one-off events if there are!
At Phil gir seg er nå gammelt nytt Petter.
Det vi her ute nå er interessert i er hva som skjer i jakten på en ny kartleser!?
Sorry to know that!
I´m quite sure it was a very difficult decision for both, and that there must be a strong reason to take Phill away from the TEAM.
I`m really sorry.
For me you´ll always be one of the best co-drivers in the world, mainly duo to your high professional dedication and hard work. It will be very difficult to replace you…
All the best for both!
when will we now about your new co-driver? use nicky grist he.s worked with the best i think you two will make a great team .
Good road for Phil in his new life !!!
Why don’t ask Denis Giraudet to be the new co-driver during the end of the year ?
He have a big experience and have co-drive a lot of different driver this past year.
Good luck for the end of the season and I think you could win race again.
Thanks for show.
Robin
Perhaps it could be Daniel Barrit?
When i heard about Phil retiering from the WRC i was kinda shock but you guys had a lot of good wins and heartbreaking crashes (The on in Gemary 2004) Hope you have a good luck finding a good Co-Driver ^^
All the best Phill in what ever you decide to do,
you will be missed by all rally fans but most of
all by Petter you guys made a great team.
Greetings from another Phil Mills – I’m wondering is your Phil coming to take over my job singing in Under Your Skin? Maybe thats what he means by “other parts of my life”. But does that mean I have to come and be co-driver now?
Her på denne siden var det intet nytt som vanlig.
mucha suerte phill en lo que emprendas y fuerza petter campeon saludos desde paraguay
Hard to believe..I miss you Phil..You know a lot not only about rally, but about Petter too..Petter & Phil are the best team mates, partners& friends!!! Maybe were troubles in New Zealand & Portugal..Anyway who did mistake Petter or Phil..People are not computer machines..All can happens..Try to be optimistic & brave!!!
But why Phil doing that in the middle of WRC season??? Why don’t he look forward to Finland, Japan or WALES???
Im feel sad..I want to Phil stay to the end of the season…if it possible..
Petter & Phil together you are stong & powerful team!!!
Wish you all the best!!!
A Legend of the sport , you’ll be missed.
Come on… Petter – Mr. Hollywood!
All the Bulgarian Rally Fans are still waiting for you!
Come along and show the rest who is the best!
Good luck Phil. It’s been great listening to your route calls and watching Petter and yourself hurtle across stages. Have fun.
Phil had about the best “voice” as a co-driver one could hope for. Calm and steady yet decisive. Phil…I understand the need for a change to get back to family and life, but couldn’t you have finished the season with Petter? Ever since 2006-08 when you all hit your lows… it became apparent that tires and then the car competitiveness were holding you 2 back…now,with equal tires as all others, and an up-to-date Citroen, it is clear you and Petter were back “on-top”. Nothing amiss with the driver/co-driver combo. Would have loved to see you 2 being together at your next inevetable win this year. Pity.
so sad to confirm that one of the best partners in WRC splits, good luck Phil in your new life and Peter keep pushing harder like always !!
Regards from Mexico
As a fellow welshman I am saddened to hear your leaving and good luck in your future pursuits. Petter its nice to see your determination through your building a new team. Good luck!
miss him