Pajari and the Finnish Toyota team have emphasised all year that the first season in a Rally1 car is about gaining experience. During the first half of the year, Pajari produced a few solid performances, though the journey also included setbacks.
The August–September South American tour was a success for Pajari, as he finished sixth in Paraguay and fifth in Chile. There might have been potential for even stronger results, but it’s important to remember that Pajari’s teammates Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier, and Kalle Rovanperä are all fighting for the world championship. Pajari has no doubt kept in mind that he doesn’t want to interfere with the title battle. On the other hand, if he hopes to reach the podium this season, he must also be able to beat drivers of world-class calibre.
“We have had some really positive rallies recently with some good speed, and it’s been enjoyable to be pushing hard and fighting for positions,” Pajari says.
“Now we come to a totally different challenge, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t have another good rally.”
After seven gravel rallies, the WRC returns to tarmac for the unpredictable Central European and Japanese rallies, where conditions and grip levels vary widely. Pajari will head into the Central European stages on a slightly more level footing, as he already contested the event last year in a Rally1 car.
His tarmac debut in the top category went well last autumn until Sunday morning. The Finn, who was running sixth, was forced to retire after going off the road on the opening stage of the final day.
“I enjoy driving on asphalt and I feel my performance so far on this surface has been quite fine: already last year when we drove this event in Rally1,” Pajari sums up.
“Some stages were really good, and in Canaries too the speed was really good, even if we unfortunately didn’t get the result at the end. This can be a really tricky rally in places and the weather can be hard to predict, but I’m looking forward to it.”
The Central European WRC Rally begins with a shakedown stage on Thursday. The main event features a total of 18 special stages, covering approximately 306 kilometres.
