Sami
Pajari
Finland
·
WRC
Key Facts
Nationality
FIN
Date of birth
01.12.2001
Birthplace
Finland
Co-driver
Marko Salminen
First WRC rally
2019, Rally Finland
First WRC stage win
2024, Rally Finland SS9
WRC stage wins
4
Rally1 debut
2024, Rally Finland
Best Rally1 result
4th, Rally Finland 2024
Junior WRC titles
1 (2021)
WRC2 titles
1 (2024)
*WRC2 Open data from 2022 season is included.
About Sami Pajari
Sami Pajari’s rise has been a textbook example of steady, calculated progression. After becoming the first-ever Finn to win the Junior WRC title in 2021, he took the unconventional route of refining his skills in Rally3 and Rally2 machinery rather than rushing to the top. That patience paid off in 2024 when he dominated WRC2 in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, clinching the championship with four wins.
His performances were so clinical that Toyota fast-tracked him into a full-time Rally1 seat for 2025, entrusting him with a GR Yaris Rally1 as part of their factory expansion.
The 2025 season was a year of "firsts" for Pajari. Now competing full-time against the world’s best, he focused on a high-finish rate and technical learning. While a dramatic crash in the season opener at Monte-Carlo was a harsh introduction to the limits of Rally1, Pajari rebounded with a series of remarkably consistent performances.
He frequently knocked on the door of the top five throughout the mid-season gravel events, but his crowning moment came at FORUM8 Rally Japan. In front of the Toyota board and a home crowd, Pajari delivered a masterclass in composure. In treacherous, rain-soaked conditions, he secured a maiden WRC podium with a third-place finish, completing a historic 1-2-3 lockout for Toyota.
Finishing the year eighth in the championship with 107 points, Pajari ended 2025 not just as a "rookie," but as a proven frontrunner. Confirmed as part of Toyota’s five-driver roster for 2026, he remains one of the most promising talents of the WRC's next generation.
WRC photos 2025
Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen, WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2025
© WRC
Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen, WRC Rallye Monte-Carlo 2025
© WRC
Sami Pajari/ Marko Salminen, WRC Rally Sweden 2025
© WRC
Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen, WRC Safari Rally Kenya 2025
© WRC