Pajari has already had the chance to showcase his skills in Toyota’s Rally1 car this season, and he’s made excellent use of these opportunities.
In Rally Finland in August, Pajari impressed with a stellar performance, ultimately finishing fourth overall. He also had a strong showing in Rally Chile, where he placed sixth in the overall standings.
In the Central European Rally, Pajari was once again having a solid weekend until a driving error on the final day led to him wrecking his car. Nonetheless, when looking at his overall performance, Pajari’s grade is clearly on the positive side.
According to strong rumours, Pajari is expected to receive a major opportunity next year in Toyota’s Rally1 car, likely participating in even more top-level events than this season.
“Sami has driven a good season, and he still has the chance to compete for the WRC2 class championship. He drove well in Finland and Chile. Unfortunately, there was a small accident in Central Europe, but before that, he was having a steady and strong rally,” praised Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala.
Pajari made a mistake in Central Europe, but it was his first of its kind behind the wheel of a Rally1 car.
“Of course, the accident was unfortunate, but I told Sami that even top drivers make one or two mistakes in a season, and he’s now made two (the first one happened in Rally Portugal in the WRC2 class, editor’s note). At some point, these statistical losses just happen,” Latvala said empathetically.
Latvala has not yet confirmed whether Pajari will be driving the Toyota Rally1 car next season or the extent of the programme planned for the Finn. However, there’s a lot to read between the lines.
“Yes, Sami has proven himself. In that respect, things are quite clear,” Latvala said openly.
“But now, of course, we first want to see if Sami can win the WRC2 championship. Then we also want to take another look at how Takamoto Katsuta performs. Additionally, our budget for next year is still pending approval from Toyota. Because of this, I can’t yet say with certainty which team we’ll be moving forward with next year,” Latvala explained.
