Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT has radically changed its plans for the next three rallies of the 2024 World Championship, which will all be held on fast dirt roads between Poland, Latvia and Finland.
Sami Pajari, one of the most interesting young drivers on the World Rally scene currently involved in WRC2 at the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, should have made his debut in the senior class with the reigning world champion team at the wheel of a GR Yaris Rally1 at the Latvian Rally, but that won’t be the case.
The leaders of the Japanese team have decided to revolutionize their line up for the next events, moving the debut of Pajari and navigator Enni Malkonen to the Finnish Rally, set for 1 to 4 August.
At the Rally of Latvia Toyota will race with 4 GR Yaris Rally1 hybrids, fielding all its crews. Alongside the owners Elfyn Evans and Takamoto Katsuta, the 2-time reigning world champion Kalle Rovanpera will race, but also the 8-time world champion Sébastien Ogier.
“We made the decision to have Pajari race at the Rally Finland by talking to the driver and considering it the best option for his debut,” is written in a statement issued this morning by the team.
“Before the event we will have the opportunity to do some tests close to our headquarters, on roads that will have very similar characteristics to those we will then find competing in the Rally Finland, an event that Pajari already knows well.”
Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
Photo credit: McKlein / Motorsport Images
“The change of crews also opens up the possibility for the team to race at the Latvian Rally with the best possible lineup, using all the crews available. Alongside the drivers who do the whole season, i.e. Evans and Katsuta, both Rovanpera and Ogier”.
In reality, this change seems designed not so much to help Pajari become familiar with the GR Yaris Rally1, but rather to overturn a situation in the standings that sees Elfyn Evans second on equal merit with Ott Tanak in the Drivers’ World Championship and Toyota Gazoo Racing in second place in the Constructors’ Championship .
The use of Rovanpera and Ogier on the same weekend is clear proof of how the team intends to do something to change the status quo of the world championship rankings, then giving Pajari the opportunity to race on a weekend suited to his characteristics.
“It’s even more special to make my debut in Rally1 at home. Latvia would have been a new rally for everyone and in a way an equal start for me, but in Finland I obviously know the stages very well in general and our tests will will take place in Finland, so having the possibility to prepare the car on roads very similar to those of the rally will be a good help for me,” said Pajari.
“And as for emotions, it’s even better to have this chance in Finland and I can’t wait to participate in the event. Driving this car in those stages will be something really fantastic and also very challenging: they are high-speed roads. speed and I will have to learn how aerodynamics work.”
“But it’s about trying to learn as much as I can. Of course I’ll also try to have fun because it’s like a dream come true, but the main goal is just to gain experience. I’m really excited.”
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