Sami Pajari will enter the final two special stages of WRC Finland 2026 with a controlled approach after Toyota concluded that the Finn does not need to take major risks to secure victory on home soil.
Pajari inherited the lead following Sebastien Ogier’s retirement on Saturday and now holds a comfortable advantage over Oliver Solberg. Toyota is also in position to secure a one-two-three finish, with Elfyn Evans sitting third heading into the final day.
Juha Kankkunen believes that situation allows Pajari to operate with relatively little pressure, but warned that Rally1 cars are not necessarily easier to drive at a deliberately reduced pace. In his view, changing the rhythm too much can actually increase the risk of mistakes.
“In theory, we can afford to play it safe, so there’s no real pressure. But as I’ve said before, these cars are designed to be driven flat out. You can’t really drive them slowly,” Kankkunen said.
Toyota’s instruction is therefore not for Pajari to dramatically reduce his speed, but instead to maintain a pace that feels natural. “I simply told them to drive at whatever pace feels comfortable. If you suddenly start trying to drive one of these cars slowly, it just doesn’t work. That’s when the mistakes start to happen,” he added.
Victory would be Pajari’s second in succession and would further strengthen his position in the championship fight. Championship leader Elfyn Evans is more than a minute and a half behind and no longer in contention for the win, although he still needs to defend third from Adrien Fourmaux, who sits only 3.8 seconds behind.
Kankkunen stressed that Pajari’s priority should be securing the victory rather than chasing additional points with excessive risk on Super Sunday or the Power Stage. Toyota will assess the situation again before the start, but he does not believe specific team orders are necessary because the drivers understand there is little value in taking unnecessary risks against each other.
WRC Finland 2026 will be decided over Sunday’s final two stages, with Pajari in the strongest position to secure victory and lead Toyota towards a potential one-two-three finish on home ground.
Baca Juga
Sami Pajari naik ke posisi kedua klasemen WRC 2026 setelah menang di Finlandia dan kini hanya tertinggal 30 poin dari Elfyn Evans.
Sami Pajari memenangi WRC Finlandia 2026 untuk kemenangan WRC keduanya beruntun, mengalahkan Oliver Solberg dan memangkas jarak klasemen.
Oliver Solberg mencatat waktu tercepat di SS19 WRC Finlandia 2026, sementara Sami Pajari tetap memimpin dengan satu Power Stage tersisa.
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