Sami Pajari is showing no signs of nerves as he approaches the biggest rally of his career. The Finnish driver is embracing the unexpected title opportunity with a level-headed approach ahead of the World Rally Championship finale in Sardinia.
Pajari trails championship leader Elfyn Evans by 17 points. His Toyota team-mate is in the strongest position to claim his first title after five runner-up finishes. Meanwhile, Oliver Solberg is also in contention, 21 points adrift of Evans.
With only one rally remaining, Pajari needs a perfect performance in Sardinia. He must finish well ahead of Evans to overturn the deficit. However, the young driver refuses to be weighed down by pressure. “It’s really nice to be in the fight for the championship with only one rally to go, and I’m looking forward to it. I just need to do the best that I can, like in every single rally, so nothing really changes on my side,” he said.
Pajari acknowledges that the gaps closed up between the top three in Chile, but Evans still holds the advantage. “Anything is still possible and we’ll focus on doing what we can,” he added. This statement reflects the mental maturity of a driver experiencing his first title fight.
Rally Sardinia is known for its rough and rocky roads, which produce numerous punctures every year. Yet Pajari enjoys the event. He finished seventh in 2025 and an impressive sixth in a WRC2 car the previous year. “Sardinia is a rally that I normally like a lot. The stages are quite twisty and most of them are pretty narrow, but I’ve been able to do quite well there in the past,” he explained.
This year, the event is held at a different time of year. Temperatures may not be as high as usual, but Pajari does not expect it to affect the nature of the rally too much. He remains cautious of the challenges ahead.
The rally begins with shakedown on Thursday morning, followed by the short Ittiri spectator stage that evening. A total of 17 special stages covering approximately 307 kilometres will be run, finishing on Sunday. With all the drama that could unfold, Sardinia is set to be the stage where this year’s WRC champion is decided.
Baca Juga
Rally1 dipastikan tetap menjadi nama kelas utama WRC 2027 setelah usulan dalam Komisi WRC. Simak alasan dan dampaknya bagi persaingan.
Thierry Neuville bertekad menutup era Rally1 dengan kemenangan di Rally Sardinia. Simak persiapan, tantangan, dan peluangnya di sini.
Jari-Matti Latvala kembali memimpin Toyota di Rally Sardinia, di mana Elfyn Evans, Sami Pajari, dan Oliver Solberg bersaing ketat untuk gelar WRC pertama mereka.
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