Sami Pajari claimed an emotional home victory at Rally Finland, securing back-to-back WRC wins as Toyota locked out the podium in Jyväskylä.
Sami Pajari delivered one of the biggest moments of his career by winning Secto Rally Finland, securing back-to-back FIA World Rally Championship victories just two weeks after claiming his maiden WRC win in Estonia.
The young Finn kept his composure throughout Sunday’s final two stages to seal an emotional home triumph, while Toyota completed a commanding one-two-three finish in one of the championship’s most iconic events.
A Historic Win for Finland
Pajari entered the final day with a comfortable 46.4-second advantage after long-time leader Sébastien Ogier crashed out on Saturday.
Rather than chasing extra points on Super Sunday, the Toyota driver focused on avoiding mistakes and crossed the finish line 26.7 seconds ahead of Oliver Solberg.
“It’s hard to put into words,” Pajari said after the finish. “Winning in Estonia was huge, but winning my home rally is something completely different. The support from the fans has been incredible.”
The victory also carried historic significance. Pajari became the driver to deliver Finland’s 200th WRC victory, while also becoming the 14th Finnish driver to win Rally Finland in the World Rally Championship era.
Toyota Continues Its Finland Dominance
Toyota once again proved why Rally Finland has become one of its strongest events.
With Pajari, Oliver Solberg and Elfyn Evans finishing first, second and third, the Japanese manufacturer completed a clean sweep of the podium.
It also marked Toyota’s eighth victory in the last nine editions of Rally Finland and its 11th WRC-era win at the event, moving ahead of Ford as the most successful manufacturer in Rally Finland history.
Evans Recovers to Finish on the Podium
Championship leader Elfyn Evans produced one of the drives of the weekend.
After rolling his Toyota on Saturday and losing significant time, the Welshman benefited from an impressive repair job by Toyota’s mechanics before fighting back to third overall.
Evans also claimed victory in the Wolf Power Stage, strengthening his championship lead to 30 points over Pajari heading into the next round.
Rally Finland Top 6 Results
- Sami Pajari (Toyota)
- Oliver Solberg (Toyota) +26.7s
- Elfyn Evans (Toyota) +1m 19.5s
- Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) +1m 35.9s
- Thierry Neuville (Hyundai) +3m 52.5s
- Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) +4m 18.2s
The FIA World Rally Championship now heads to Rally Paraguay, scheduled for 27-30 August, as the title battle continues.