Sami Pajari Praised After Rally Estonia 2026 Victory

WRC, Sportrik Media - Sami Pajari earned praise from his Toyota team-mates after securing his first World Rally Championship victory with an assured performance at Rally Estonia 2026.

Pajari controlled the competition throughout the rally to claim his maiden victory at the highest level of the WRC. The result also lifted the Finnish driver into third place in the championship standings.

Oliver Solberg, who achieved his own breakthrough WRC victory at the same event one year earlier, was among the first drivers to congratulate Pajari after finishing second in Estonia.

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“Sami did an amazing job and drove with so much confidence. When you have that kind of confidence, everything becomes easier. It is obviously not great news for me,” Solberg said with a smile.

The victory gave Pajari a 14-point advantage over Solberg, who sits fifth in the standings. Between them is nine-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, who returned to Estonia after a five-year absence and finished fifth.

Sebastien Ogier said Pajari had not simply claimed his first victory but had done so with an exceptionally strong performance. He believed it had been clear from the early stages that Pajari possessed more pace than his rivals.

Championship leader Elfyn Evans also described the victory as fully deserved. He highlighted that Pajari did not even benefit from the most favourable road position but still produced a fast, controlled and polished drive.

The praise from Solberg, Ogier and Evans underlined the quality of Pajari’s performance in Estonia. The result was not only a major career milestone but also strengthened his status as one of the leading contenders in the 2026 WRC title battle.