Toyota Gazoo Racing's rising star Sami Pajari brought the demanding Saturday leg at Rally Japan to a brilliant conclusion with a masterclass display of driving. Tackling the short, spectator-friendly Fujioka super special stage which was run twice in quick succession to close the day's action (SS13 and SS14), the young Finn spectacularly topped the timesheets on both occasions. A highly satisfied Pajari explained that his engineering crew successfully unlocked the extra technical pace he had been hunting for during the afternoon loop, cementing his position on the temporary podium.
In stark contrast to Pajari's smooth run, overall rally leader Elfyn Evans survived a massive heart-in-mouth scare that nearly destroyed his entire weekend. The Welshman came mathematically close to sliding off the asphalt on the final spectator stage, executing a wild snap that could have easily triggered an immediate retirement had the car stepped out an inch further. Maintaining his trademark calm demeanor at the stop page, Evans admitted that he was driving with absolutely no safety margin left to spare as he prepares for Sunday's final leg.
Ogier's Tyre Degradation Flaws and Katsuta's Deficit
Eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier finished a mere 0.4 seconds adrift of Pajari on the final run, managing to narrow his overall structural deficit to Evans to 17.8 seconds. However, the French veteran cut a deeply frustrated figure at the leg finish, openly admitting that catching his teammate on pure, unadulterated pace is now an impossibility. Ogier lamented that terminal issues regarding tyre choice and degradation had plagued his factory Toyota for the majority of the leg, severely blunt-forcing his ability to mount a genuine counter-attack.
Following the conclusion of SS14, Pajari holds a lonely but secure third place in the general classification, sitting 44.4 seconds behind the leading car. Crucially, his blistering sprint through the spectator stages allowed him to stretch his advantage over local hero Takamoto Katsuta in fourth to a comfortable 26.9 seconds. Further down the order, the Hyundai pair of Adrien Fourmaux and championship contender Thierry Neuville remain anchored in fifth and sixth positions respectively, waiting to maximize any mechanical slip-ups during Sunday's remaining six special stages.
Baca Juga
Elfyn Evans memilih abai terhadap drama kecelakaan Oliver Solberg dan tetap fokus mempertahankan keunggulannya dari ancaman Sebastien Ogier di Rally Japan.
Thierry Neuville memilih pasrah dan menikmati sisa putaran Rally Japan meski mobil Hyundai i20 N miliknya kalah telak dari dominasi skuad Toyota.
Sami Pajari memilih bersikap mawas diri dan menolak selebrasi dini meski posisinya sangat nyaman di zona podium tiga besar Rally Japan.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!