After the opening loop of three special stages, Pajari sits an impressive fifth overall. He trails rally leader and fellow Toyota driver Kalle Rovanperä by 34.4 seconds.
What makes this especially noteworthy is that world champions Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville are currently behind the young Finn. Yet Pajari wasn’t entirely satisfied. In fact, he was surprisingly harsh on himself.
“Looking at the position, I guess I should be pleased, but the driving hasn’t been what I’d hoped for in terms of flow,” Pajari admitted.
“Especially the first stage this morning felt a bit sticky. It just didn’t get going properly. The next two started going slightly better. But I’ve still enjoyed it,” he added.
Pajari was frustrated by the lack of rhythm in his driving.
“It just doesn’t come very cleanly. And when I try to make that half-step up in pace, the same thing starts happening again,” he explained.
His tyre strategy also differed from most. Pajari had six tyres on board, including soft compounds.
“We started getting information that there would be damp sections, and there were some, but I think you could’ve managed quite well – maybe even better – on hards. The softs started to melt under the car little by little,” Pajari said.
But the tyre decision may not have been entirely his own – the team likely had a role in it.
“There can always be different perspectives on these things, and after all, this is a team effort,” Pajari concluded with a grin.
