However, early in the opening stage on Sunday, one corner caught the Finnish pair by surprise, and a small ditch on the outside flipped their car over. Although they possibly could have continued, it wasn’t deemed necessary as this rally was a learning experience on tarmac.
Five kilometres into the stage, Pajari’s car seemed to drift slightly off the optimal line in a left-hand corner and didn’t turn sharply enough.
A low field ditch gently flipped the car over, and the duo soon climbed out to clear the road for the following crews. According to Pajari, it wasn’t a case of overdriving.
“I can’t really say what happened. The car understeered a bit, and we went wide in the corner. The car rolled gently three times. The damage to the car isn’t major, and it could have continued, but in this situation, it wouldn’t have made sense,” Pajari explained.
“I think my notes for the corner were accurate, and there was nothing particularly surprising about it. Up until this point, the rally went fairly flawlessly. In another spot, there might not have even been a small ditch, but this time, luck wasn’t on our side.”
The Finnish duo’s season continues in just over four weeks at the season-ending Rally Japan. There, they will compete for the WRC2 title in a Printsport Racing Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car. Currently sitting third in the standings, they have the chance to overtake Oliver Solberg for the championship by finishing in the top two in Japan.
