Competing in his first full season with Rally1 machinery, Pajari is now facing the extreme challenge of Safari Rally for the first time. Many top-category drivers have stated that this year’s rally is expected to be even more brutal than usual, as heavy rainfall during reconnaissance has already made the roads extremely difficult to drive.
Pajari’s start to the season has not been ideal. In Monte Carlo, the Finnish driver was forced to retire on the final day, while in Sweden in February, he had to settle for seventh place. He does not dare to expect any major heroics in the iconic Safari Rally either.
“Quite interesting conditions already on the recce. It was raining a little bit on both days. We can see how quickly the road then develops if it’s getting wet. I expect it to be quite tricky and challenging rally. Also the other drivers are saying that it’s maybe one of the worst conditions we have seen,” Pajari said.
“And there is maybe more rain because the forecast is showing more rain than in the past. So it can really be a bit of a challenge.”
Pajari has never driven in Kenya before, so it remains a mystery to the Finnish driver how fast it is possible to push on the rocky roads.
“I’m not so sure exactly what the speeds should be in each of the conditions. I know the cars can handle really rough conditions, and I expect some of the guys to be really, really fast, even in the tough conditions, once they really want to go for the win. But I think for us the plan is a bit more cautious,” Pajari told.
For Safari Rally Kenya teams conducted testing in Southern Europe, as Rally1 drivers are not permitted to test at the rally location for long-haul events. This adds yet another factor to an already demanding competition.
“It’s again one more like an element of the challenge, something I need to get used to. It’s part of the game being a Rally1 driver that there is not too much testing.”
“I still try to be more on the steady side and learn as much as we can. I think that’s the thing I will be saying before every rally this year. So it’s still about the learning.”
