Sami Pajari claimed his first World Rally Championship win in Estonia, leaving Toyota rivals Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson 19.5 seconds behind.
Tactical Dominance From Start to Finish
The 24‑year‑old Finn blasted through the 18‑stage, 50‑hour event, taking 12 stages—including a streak of nine successive wins—before the rally closed. From the opening session, Pajari’s pace demanded attention, and no competitor managed to knit an escape line on the gravel.
Pajari vs. the Main Threat: Solberg
Solberg’s debut victory faced a stern test from the series‑champion. Although the Monte Carlo winner delivered two stage wins early Saturday to trim the gap to 14.1 seconds, Pajari answered by broadening the margin in the afternoon to over 19 seconds. Solberg, unable to locate the optimal rhythm, stayed within odds of a podium finish but could not challenge the leader’s dominance.
Secondary Podium Battles
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville battled hard for third place, leveraging favorable road positions. Fourmaux’s resilience after a jump‑over incident and a puncture culminated in a stage‑two victory; Neuville countered by delivering a fast time in stage 15, narrowing the gap to trailing Fourmaux to 1.9 seconds before Fourmaux’s penultimate‑stage flourish sealed third spot.
Toyota teammates Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson finished second and subsequently secured Super Sunday and Power Stage bonus points. They each earned 27 championship points, bolstering their season standings.
Impact on Championship Standings
Pajari’s triumph lifts the Finn to third in the drivers’ standings, 33 points behind leader Elfyn Evans, his own teammate. Evans, despite an opening‑road setback that saw him fall to ninth after day one, recovered to sixth and added seven Super Sunday points, extending the championship gap over Katsuta to 25 points.
Korona‑to‑Katy: Katsuta retired after a puncture and subsequent retreival collapses at both M‑Sport Ford (Martins Seks) and Hyundai, removing another major contender from the championship race.
Encouraging Tales from for‑Teams and Veterans
Kenyan‑born Esapekka Lappi’s first rally as the third Hyundai driver struggled on i20 N gravel, finishing eighth ahead of M‑Sport’s Jon Armstrong. German‑born Johanna Loki, meanwhile, achieved the WRC2 win by 7.6 seconds over home‑hero Robert Virves, who battled Teemu Sunien and Roope Korhonen for the podium.
Looking Ahead: What Joan goggles next
With Pajari now finishing strong, Toyota Gazoo Racing can bank on his momentum for the coming rallies, while Hyundai must regroup after a costly season to remain competitive in the tight WRC battle.
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