The Finnish driver finished tenth overall and third in the Rally2 class.
However, it was a close call as Gus Greensmith crept to within just 0.3 seconds of the Finn on the final stage. The placement itself did not hold much significance for Pajari since he was not competing for class points in Croatia.
“Overall, the weekend was really good. Especially the last two days were very good,” Pajari summed up.
“That last stage was definitely the most challenging of the rally. It’s very narrow like a gutter. There are a few spots where you can lean a bit, but there’s a lot of cutting and some very sharp cuts. I had to take some risks,” Pajari continued.
While the strong performance in Croatia did not add to Pajari’s points tally, the weekend provided the Finnish driver with a lot.
“We made a clear step forward from Monte Carlo and improved many aspects of the car. We also improved our performance. This was definitely a very good thing,” Pajari said.
Pajari also had a minor incident on the last day, but fortunately, he came out unscathed.
“There were probably five kilos of gravel in the rear wheel, but fortunately, nothing more serious,” Pajari remarked.
Pajari achieved an impressive result in an tarmac rally.
“It was important for me personally, but there was also a lot of positive development regarding the car. This was my first podium finish in an tarmac. It’s always a step in the right direction,” Pajari smiled.
Pajari was pleasantly surprised by his good pace, yet it was somewhat expected.
“I cautiously thought it would be really nice to get on the podium. Of course, that’s always the goal, but I had thought that if I could get into the top five, then the rally would probably have gone quite well. That was nicely fulfilled.”
The Toyota is a new car for Pajari. This means that each rally is a bit of a fresh start.
“Monte Carlo has been the only asphalt rally in this car so far, and we came here looking for quite different things. At this stage, it’s still about trying lots of different things and figuring out what works. Now, when we go to the next similar rally, we know where to start. And if we find something new, that’s always a bonus,” Pajari contemplated.
Pajari’s season continues in Portugal in May. He believes the Toyota will also perform well there, where the surface switches from tarmac to gravel.
“I’ve had the chance to drive on gravel in this car once, and it felt pretty good there. Let’s see. We’ll try to keep up the same pace there,” Pajari planned.
Pajari straightforwardly stated that his goals are high.
“At least those podium places would be good to get. I’m certainly not satisfied with less,” Pajari stated.
Securing a podium in Portugal would mean that Pajari would have to beat well-known drivers from the main class of the World Rally Championship, including Kris Meeke.
“Yes, and there are quite a few other good drivers there. Nothing comes easily,” Pajari anticipated.
“There’s more competition at the top there, but I wouldn’t say that the level is necessarily higher than here. Even here, the top was running pretty close to the maximum, except for the end. Even if Meeke and (Pierre-Louis) Loubet had been here, I don’t believe they would have gone much faster,” Pajari continued.
