Nikolay Gryazin is leading the class ahead of his teammate Yohan Rossel, who is 12.4 seconds off the lead. British driver Gus Greensmith and Finnish driver Sami Pajari are next in the WRC2 class.
Pajari consistently clocked solid times just behind the leaders throughout the morning. He is 37 seconds behind the leader after four special stages.
“We’ve come without taking any major risks. The conditions have been quite challenging, but there has been some strong performance in between,” Pajari reported.
“There’s been a good rhythm in driving. We’re on solid ground.”
Pajari is competing in Toyota’s new Rally2 car. The car has clearly developed since the season opener at the Rally Monte Carlo, which, like Croatia, is a tarmac event. According to Pajari, the speed could still be increased, but then the risk level might rise too high due to muddy cuts in the corners.
“I’m pleased with how the car behaves for the most part. No complaints there,” Pajari said.
Meanwhile, Lauri Joona is in sixth place in the class, one and a half minutes behind the leader. Like his compatriot Pajari, Joona drove the first loop cautiously.
“The placement is quite good, but of course, I would like the time difference to the leader to be smaller. On certain sections, the gap stays moderate, but as soon as there’s dirt and mud, the driving becomes cautious. However, it feels like we are improving all the time,” Joona remarked.
Four more special stages will be run on Friday at the Croatia Rally.
