In Chile, Pajari will drive the Toyota Rally1 car for the second time this season. In Finland, Pajari performed nearly flawlessly, finishing an impressive fourth in the overall standings.
Pajari was already showing good pace during the test stage in Chile, recording the third-fastest time, just 0.4 seconds behind Martins Sesks.
“It was good. Nothing really special,” Pajari commented on his performance.
This year, Rally Chile features one entirely new special stage, with other changes made to the route compared to last year. However, according to Pajari, the overall character of the event has not changed significantly.
“Let’s say some parts are a bit new, but it’s still quite a lot the same as last year. And at least the idea of the stages is quite similar .It can be really nice. You can use last year’s pace notes, even if the car is not the same,” Pajari predicted.
Pajari will be driving a Rally1 car in Chile for the first time in his career. According to the Finn, the change isn’t as big as one might imagine.
“There is always some fine-tuning. But it’s not only up to the car; every year they prepare the roads, so something can change a little bit, and so on. Of course, I try to always develop my own pace. So there will always be some small changes, but not that much because of changing the car,” Pajari explained.
Pajari has prepared for the rally by testing in Finland. However, Chile’s terrain differs from the gravel roads of Central Finland, so the test stage played a bigger role in car settings this time.
“The shakedown can be quite important. But I had a really good feeling with the car,” Pajari shared.
Tyre strategy will likely play a major role in Chile. The roads in Chile are difficult to predict, which will make tyre selection tricky. However, this isn’t Pajari’s main concern.
“It’s not like I’m thinking too much about it, at least in the beginning of the race. I will just try to have a good feeling and go with the feeling, and not think too much. So I’m not really thinking too much about the results. It’s just about having fun and enjoying it,” Pajari concluded.
