Pajari received a unique opportunity in Finland last year when he got behind the wheel of Toyota’s Rally1 car.
It’s fair to say that Pajari made the most of that opportunity almost perfectly, as he finished an impressive fourth in the demanding and fast gravel event.
His success in Finland, combined with the WRC2 title, provided sufficient proof of his talent, and this season Pajari was promoted to a full campaign in Toyota’s Rally1 car.
So far, however, the results have been modest. Pajari has stressed that he is still on a learning journey, but at some point, expectations for stronger performances have grown. And once again, those expectations follow him to Finland.
“Rally Finland has always been a really special rally for me – right back to the first WRC event I drove six years ago. To drive in front of friends and family is a nice feeling and the roads themselves are really cool to drive in any car,” Pajari said.
“To be able to drive them with a Rally1 car still feels like a dream for me, even though I did it once already last year,” he added.
Throughout the season, Pajari has been careful not to publicly declare any specific result targets, and he continues with the same mindset heading into Rally Finland.
“You always want to try and do better than the last time, but it’s never as easy as that and I’m not adding too much pressure on myself. I’m just really looking forward to it and will try my best to do a good rally,” Pajari outlined.
Rally Finland takes place from 31 July to 3 August.
