Pajari impressed Toyota’s WRC bosses last year by winning the WRC2 championship and delivering strong performances behind the wheel of a Rally1 car. However, starting the season with the legendary Rally Monte Carlo is no easy feat.
“Of course, it’s really exciting to start my first season with a Rally1 car. Monte is a challenging rally, but it’s a very traditional season opener. It’s definitely not the easiest event, but I’m really looking forward to it,” Pajari says.
“It’s great to finally compete for the entire season, but last year gave us a taste with three rallies, so we kind of know what to expect. Still, it’ll take some time to get fully comfortable with everything.”
Unlike many Finnish drivers, Pajari doesn’t share the common apprehension about Monte Carlo. His teammate, Kalle Rovanperä, has openly said the rally isn’t among his favorites.
“Monte is inherently a very challenging event. Many Finnish drivers have said the conditions are tough and change a lot. It also depends on the year. There could be a lot of snow, or practically none at all. We’ll see how it turns out,” Pajari reflects.
“But this is the traditional season opener. The plan is to take a smart approach and just get through it. Maybe the pressure to perform is on others.”
Like other top drivers, Pajari has had to get used to the updated Rally1 car, now without its hybrid unit. The car is lighter, but also has less power.
“No one knows exactly how the tires will behave in different conditions. No one has enough experience yet going into the first rally. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. It might even shake things up a bit,” Pajari concludes.
