Sami Pajari is one of the most interesting young people to emerge from the WRC preparatory classes after the advent of Kalle Rovanpera and the interest from some manufacturers in him only leads one to think “It was only a matter of time”.
The 22-year-old Finn impressed Toyota Gazoo Racing so much that the Japanese company decided to give him a big chance. Sami will make his debut at the wheel of a GR Yaris Rally1 – the fourth, alongside the three starting crews – at the Latvia Rally, scheduled for 19 to 21 July.
Pajari will be navigated by Enni Malkonen, his navigator for a few years, with whom he has won the two races he has collected so far in WRC2. The first of these came last year at the Finnish Rally, his home one, when he raced at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 from the TokSport team.
The second victory, however, came over the weekend just ended. An overwhelming success achieved in WRC2 at the Rally Italia Sardegna. We remind you that Pajari and Malkonen have been racing on a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 since this year and that the Japanese company has already had its hands on the Finnish talent for a few months.
Sami Pajari, Enni Mälkönen, Printsport Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
Photo credit: McKlein / Motorsport Images
Pajari’s strong performances have prompted Toyota – which is always on the lookout for young talent – to give him a chance and to give itself a chance for the future. With Sébastien Ogier getting closer to hanging up his helmet and Elfyn Evans still not convincing, the team needs new recruits to be able to maintain a very strong team in the future. To win the Constructors’ world title, the exceptional Kalle Rovanpera will certainly not be enough.
“In addition to our Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge program, where we have been training young Japanese drivers since 2015, we also keep an eye on the most talented young drivers competing in the WRC support categories,” said Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota team principal Gazoo Racing WRC.
“This year we have seen that Sami Pajari is driving very well in our GR Yaris Rally2 and we would like to see his potential in our Rally1 car. Sami has made great strides and achieved better results, with a magnificent weekend in Sardinia. Not only that It’s demonstrating great speed, but it’s also providing our engineers with feedback that helps us create an ever-better car for all our customers.”
“The Latvian Rally is a fast and smooth event like the Finnish Rally and Sami also likes the roads of the Baltic region, which suit him and should help him feel more at home. Furthermore, it is precisely on fast roads like these that he can feel and understand how the aerodynamics of a Rally1 car work. We therefore hope that Sami and Enni can have a good experience and learn about the car and the transition from Rally2.”
Photo credit: Toyota Racing
These are the words of Sami Pajari, now ever closer to making his debut in the top class of the WRC: “It’s an extraordinary feeling to have this opportunity with TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. It’s a goal I’ve worked towards for many years, but not It often happens that a seat is available in a Rally1 car.”
“It will be a huge challenge, because there are so many new things to learn and the pace at the top level is really high. But I will try not to focus too much on the result or feel any pressure in that sense, and will just aim to have fun and acquire all possible experience for the future”.
“At least in Latvia the stages are mostly fast and smooth, which I’m quite used to from Finland, and it’s also a new event for everyone, so in this sense we start more or less from the same point as the top riders. I hope that If we can do well, then maybe there will be a chance to do something nice in the future, but that’s something I can only think about much later. For now I’ll just focus on this rally and enjoy it.”
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