In Wednesday’s shakedown for the Rally2 car competitors, Pajari was the fifth fastest, trailing the class’s top name, Citroen driver Nikolay Gryazin, by 5.2 seconds. However, Pajari wasn’t yet pushing to the limit during the shakedown.
In Monte Carlo, Pajari has a significant role, driving Toyota’s new Rally2 car. The vehicle will make its WRC debut on Monte’s challenging special stages.
“The feeling after the shakedown is good. We had some good tests earlier, and the car feels good and natural to drive. I believe I can drive well. People are likely very interested to see how we can handle the new car. It interests us too,” Pajari told RallyJournal.com.
“It’s great to be part of driving a new car. I’m very interested to see what we can achieve.”
However, patience must be kept in mind, as Printsport, a Finnish team responsible for Pajari’s car maintenance, and Toyota aim to finish the rally without major driving errors.
“If I could get into the top three, I would be satisfied. It seems like a good target for now. We’ll try our best. Another important thing would be to finish all the stages with the new car,” Pajari pondered.
Is Pajari’s foot already in the door at Toyota’s factory team?
Pajari is strongly believed to be in the sights of Toyota’s WRC team, as indicated by his choice of car for this season. According to RallyJournal.com, Toyota’s team principal Jari-Matti Latvala strongly recommended to Printsport that Pajari should be the one to drive the new car.
“I don’t know what the discussions between Printsport and Toyota have been. I can’t even remember when those talks started. We got some cautious inquiries about whether I’d be interested in driving with Printsport,” Pajari explains.
“It might well be that they wanted WRC drivers to drive the car. Here also are (Stephane) Lefevbre and (Bryan) Bouffier, who are specialists in this rally. The car was chosen more for them than for someone else.”
Latvala has spoken to the media that Pajari driving Toyota’s machinery this year gives the WRC team a good way to monitor the Finnish talent’s development. Although the career of the former JWRC champion from a couple of years ago seems to be on the rise, Pajari points out the harsh reality of the sport. The path to the sport’s top class is not easy.
“Of course, it’s nice and feels great if that’s been said. However, you must remember, whatever Rally2 car, you need to perform well if you want the path to open up ahead at some point,” Pajari sums up.
“And I’m not the only one driving for Toyota. And in the end, it’s the results that speak for themselves.”
One might think Pajari is fiercely aiming for the WRC2 championship, which could serve as the final proof of his talent to Toyota’s WRC team.
“I don’t feel that this is necessarily the year (for a breakthrough). Every season that starts in this sport is always the most important. For example, without last year’s results, I likely wouldn’t be in this position now. Next, I have to drive and perform a bit better again,” Pajari reflects.
