The Finnish hopeful, competing in his first WRC rally with top-tier equipment, immediately set the fastest time. Still slightly dazed by his achievement upon arriving at service while sitting sixth overall, Pajari reflected on his performance.
“Pretty good feeling. I can’t really say much else. I think it highlights that when the conditions and the feeling are good, the times come naturally. I didn’t specifically aim for the fastest time on that stage. I just drove what felt right,” Pajari summarized.
“It was a strange day overall, and I don’t really know where to start. Anyway, the feelings are very good.”
While the afternoon loop gave Pajari reasons to celebrate, the morning was more challenging. The Toyota driver was close to going off the road right away on the Laukaa special stage but managed to continue. The rear of the car took a severe hit during the “off-road” incident, making the rest of the loop difficult.
“It was much more fun to drive than in the morning. The team was quite understanding in the morning. Didn’t get scolded too badly, even though I deserved it,” Pajari chuckled.
“The idea was to drive based on what felt right. I did that in the morning too, without pushing too hard. It just turned out the way it did.”
However, the second loop of Friday was a perfect performance from Pajari. Besides the fastest time, he also clocked the second-best time on Laukaa 2. The only wish the Finn had for Sunday was one thing.
“The afternoon didn’t have any special issues or moments where things got out of hand. Some stages were in better condition than others,” Pajari said.
“They are quite cool stages. They certainly aren’t the easiest. Hopefully, the weather will be a bit drier.”
Rally Finland will have a total of six special stages on Saturday. The competition ends on Sunday.
