With two gravel rallies under his belt in top-tier machinery, the Finnish driver now gets to experience the hybrid’s power on tarmac as well. During the Thursday morning shakedown, Pajari posted the second-fastest time on his initial run.
“I was, of course, happy with the shakedown time, but it’s just a shakedown and doesn’t reflect much on the actual rally. It’s pretty interesting to start on asphalt compared to gravel. It’s hard to set any expectations,” Pajari said.
“The shakedown was surprisingly nice. But it’s just a shakedown, and a bit different from the actual rally. But, of course, a good time can boost confidence.”
On Friday, the Central European Rally continues in the Czech Republic, with the last two days taking place in Germany and Austria. Pajari plans to take a cautious approach, particularly on Friday.
“Friday’s loop will certainly be tricky. Compared to last year, the weather should be more favorable as there isn’t much rain forecasted. There will probably still be some dampness, and mud will be pulled onto the road from cutting. Hopefully not as much as last year,” Pajari commented.
The weather forecast seems to favor Pajari, as there’s no heavy rain expected, which will make his task significantly easier.
“Dirty and muddy conditions have challenged me in the past. You have to be willing to take risks if you want to post good times. Without risks, you lose twice as much time as usual,” Pajari concluded.
“We’ll see how the rally starts and what the weather is like tomorrow morning. I aim to push hard regardless of the conditions, but especially if the weather is good.”
Pajari didn’t want to set major targets for his result. His main goal is to gather as much experience as possible.
“It’s hard to predict the position. Sometimes you can get a great result as a gift if others retire, and sometimes you can fight hard for seventh place and still feel satisfied,” Pajari noted.
“I’m not going to think too much about the result. The approach will probably be similar to Finland and Chile. If it feels good, I might push a little, but I don’t want to take any big risks.”
