Sami Pajari Leads Rally Estonia After SS1

Sami Pajari opened Rally Estonia at the top of the standings after setting the fastest time on the 21.45-kilometre SS1 Raanitsa stage.

The Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT driver completed the opening test in 10 minutes 04.0 seconds. Pajari finished 2.4 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux, while last year’s Rally Estonia winner Oliver Solberg was 2.6 seconds behind.

Road position again had a major influence on the dry and loose gravel surface. Championship leader Elfyn Evans was required to open the road and lost 10 seconds, while Pajari used the increasingly clean conditions to take over the fastest time.

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“It was OK, but it was only the first stage. I didn’t feel particularly comfortable in the car, but I believe I can improve from here,” Pajari said.

Sebastien Ogier had initially set a strong benchmark by beating Evans by more than six seconds before Pajari and several later starters improved the time. Ogier completed SS1 in fourth position, 3.8 seconds behind the leader.

Thierry Neuville finished fifth after struggling with the balance of his car. The Hyundai driver reported oversteer in the slower sections and understeer through the high-speed corners, leaving the team searching for additional grip ahead of the next stages.

Martins Sesks faced a more difficult start after damage sustained during shakedown delayed his arrival at the stage by two minutes. The Ford driver received a 20-second penalty and sat 10th after SS1.

Rally Estonia continues with six more stages on Friday before Saturday’s longer itinerary and two runs through Kaariku on Sunday decide the final result and the Power Stage points.