Sami Pajari Frustrated After Acropolis Rally Setback

Sami Pajari admitted his frustration after a puncture on Friday severely damaged his chances of fighting at the front of Acropolis Rally Greece with Toyota Gazoo Racing.

The puncture on SS5 cost Pajari almost two minutes after he had already lost time earlier in the day due to a minor technical issue that required a brief stop during a special stage. As a result, the Finn starts Saturday more than three minutes behind the rally leader.

"It's a pretty miserable feeling. The morning was really good and we were driving at the pace we expected from our road position. Everything was going well until it suddenly wasn't. We also had a small issue that needed a quick fix, and later the puncture came. There was simply nothing we could do about it," said Pajari.

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Pajari explained that the damage occurred after striking a loose rock on a narrow high-speed section. He said his reaction came too late to avoid the obstacle, which immediately destroyed the tyre tread.

Although catching the leaders now appears highly unlikely, Pajari believes Acropolis Rally can still produce unexpected twists before the finish. He recalled finishing fourth overall in a Rally2 car a few years ago as proof that the Greek event often changes dramatically because of its demanding conditions.

Pajari also found one positive after the retirements of Oliver Solberg and Jon Armstrong on Friday. Their exits mean he will no longer have to sweep the road on Saturday, giving him a better chance of setting competitive stage times as the rally enters its decisive phase.