Rising Star Sami Pajari Secures Maiden WRC Stage Win at Rally Finland
Rising World Rally Championship star Sami Pajari has surpassed expectations by securing his first-ever WRC stage win on his top-flight debut at the iconic Rally Finland. The Finnish driver, who is currently contending for the WRC2 title, was given the opportunity to showcase his skills by Toyota Gazoo Racing, piloting a fifth GR Yaris at the team’s home event.
Pajari’s rally hopes suffered a setback on Friday’s opening stage [Laukaa] when he spun and understeered into a ditch in treacherous conditions, causing significant damage to his rear wing. However, the young Finn was able to recover and navigate through the morning loop before setting an impressive pace across the afternoon with a fully repaired car.
Pajari’s Impressive Performance
Pajari’s resilience and raw speed were on full display as he:
- Clocked the second-fastest stage time on stage six
- Delivered a stunning milestone effort to claim stage nine [Ruuhimaki], beating eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier by just 0.5 seconds
“I thought before the rally that [a stage win] would be nice but I thought it would be like too much, so I was not expecting anything like this,” said Pajari, who ended Friday sitting sixth overall. “It means quite a lot. The afternoon was really good, and even on the Ruuhimaki stage, I was not planning to do a stage win, but it was a clean drive, and I was enjoying it.”
Toyota’s sporting director, Kaj Lindstrom, was equally impressed by Pajari’s performance, stating that the stage win was the “cherry on the cake” and highlighting the young driver’s maturity in handling the recovery after his early setback.
“It is always impressive to see the new driver coming in and with less experience to do it,” said Lindstrom. “It is great to see these new up-and-coming stars like [Martins] Sesks and Sami.”
Praise from Teammate Rovanpera
Pajari’s impressive debut has not gone unnoticed, with even his teammate Kalle Rovanpera, the current Rally Finland leader and a two-time world champion, praising the young driver’s achievement.
“If you do your first stage win in your first rally with the top car, it is a proper job, and Ruuhimaki is not an easy stage, so really well done,” Rovanpera said.
Pajari’s maiden WRC stage win at Rally Finland has undoubtedly put him on the map as a rising star in the world of rallying, and fans will be eager to see what the future holds for this talented young driver.
🔗 Source