The first special stage was cancelled as it was called off after just two cars due to spectators standing in unsafe locations. However, on the following two stages, Pajari once again demonstrated why he’s being hailed as one of the sport’s rising stars.
On the morning’s second stage, Pajari set the third-fastest time, followed by the fifth-fastest on the final stage of the loop. After the morning’s stages, Pajari sits in third place overall, just 6.6 seconds behind teammate and rally leader Elfyn Evans.
“The morning was really good. I felt great on the two stages we got to run. It’s been challenging because the grip has varied a lot. You have to keep a cool head,” Pajari commented.
“You can’t push too hard. It feels like I could go much faster, but the conditions are tricky. You have to stay calm.”
The stages in Chile are fast, but also feature rougher sections and significant changes in grip. Pajari quickly realized that he couldn’t fully keep the throttle down like in similar fast rallies, such as the Finnish WRC.
“I think it’s what many drivers are saying, that the grip changes are quite big at some points and some tricky places on the stages. It’s not easy and I feel like there is a lot to improve, but I think I need to accept that the conditions are also quite tricky,” Pajari said.
“Maybe the afternoon can be actually more easy with the flow. I think the stages are more clean.”
In Chile, three more special stages are scheduled for the afternoon. The rally will conclude on Sunday.
