Held across the borders of the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria, this will also be Pajari’s first tarmac rally with a Rally1 hybrid car. Earlier in the season, Pajari impressed with a fourth-place finish on home soil in Central Finland, followed by a sixth-place finish in Chile a few weeks ago.
In this complex Central European Rally, Pajari’s main goal is once again to reach the finish line. Every kilometre of experience counts as the young Finnish talent aims to challenge the top drivers in the future.
“This will be my first time with the Rally1 car on asphalt and I’m sure it will be a big challenge. I did the rally in WRC2 last year and it was really tricky in places, with some more enjoyable parts as well,” Pajari says.
“The stages are a bit different in each of the three countries, and at this time of year the weather can be quite unpredictable. But at the moment for myself it’s all about facing these challenges and learning from them.”
Pajari is satisfied with his performances in his first two top-tier rallies. He has managed to post competitive stage times while also knowing when to back off in tough conditions.
“I think we did quite a solid job in Finland and Chile and I’m sure it will be a similar story on this rally too: when we’re feeling good we can do some nice times, and if there’s more risk or tricky conditions, step back a little bit to gain the experience and not rush too much.”
The Central European Rally starts Thursday morning with a shakedown stage. Later that day, the first two competitive stages will take place in the Czech Republic.
