Pajari was still leading the rally on Friday afternoon’s opening stage, but he suffered a puncture on the second-to-last special stage of the day. In an instant, the fight for victory turned into seventh place. The Finnish driver was naturally very disappointed, yet at the same time he knew that practically every driver had faced similar problems during the rally.
“Everything was possible and the pace was superb. We were really close to the front. When you’re chasing your first win, of course it’s frustrating. I was expecting a difficult afternoon, so in that sense the conditions didn’t surprise me. Naturally it’s a shame when it happens to you,” said Pajari.
Pajari achieved his first podium in the World Championship in Japan a few weeks ago. Although victory was within reach this time, it did not lead to any great shouts of joy from the Finn.
“Of course there are positives to take from this, but that’s not the feeling I have right now. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow. There’s no chance of winning now, but also nothing to lose. We just have to do our best and certainly not drive slowly,” Pajari summed up.
Rally Saudi Arabia concludes on Saturday with three special stages.
