WRC
Pajari unstoppable after day of Estonian WRC dominance
Sami Pajari delivered a high-speed gravel-driving masterclass to lead Delfi Rally Estonia at the Friday evening halt by 14.7sec.
Chasing his first victory in the FIA World Rally Championship, Pajari was on unstoppable form throughout leg one, winning all seven stages in his Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally1.
After going quickest on the opening three stages earlier in the day, Pajari left the Tyre Fitting Zone in the town of Tehvandi leading by 4.1sec.
Adrien Fourmaux fought hard for a podium spot on Friday
© At World
It was a margin the Finn would build on for the remainder of the day as he swept to three more gravel stage wins, before he completed the Tarmac-based super special in Elva to round out the day with another best time.
He becomes the first driver since Kalle Rovanperä on Rally Islas Canarias last season to win all stages of an opening leg.
“Simply I just do all I can,” Pajari said. “I didn’t have any moments, and it seems under control. I’m pushing all I can. I’m just trying to enjoy it. This was proper action, a super-nice day. I will do the best I can and it’s still a super-long rally.”
The only notable cause of concern for Pajari occurred on SS5 when he reported making a “small mistake at one corner.” However, such was his pace, the moment went unpunished.
2025 winner Oliver Solberg completed Friday in second
© At World
Toyota-driving Oliver Solberg, who banked his breakthrough WRC victory on Estonia’s gravel fixture 12 months ago, was second overnight, just 1.8sec ahead of Adrien Fourmaux in third. While Solberg has bemoaned a lack of feeling during what he described as “a difficult day for sure, very disappointing,” Fourmaux has impressed throughout on leg one.
After a moment over a jump on SS2 that left grass lodged in the front of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1, little troubled the Frenchman, who posted a succession of top-three stage times to edge out team-mate Thierry Neuville by 7.5sec.
Neuville, the 2024 world champion, made repeated references to a lack of car balance during the day, which he rounded out with an advantage of 33.3sec over Sébastien Ogier, who is making his first appearance in Estonia since 2021.
Takamoto Katsuta was sixth overall when he suffered a double blow on SS6. As well as a damaged front-left tyre delaying him by almost one minute, the Japanese driver now faces the prospect of opening the road on Saturday, the longest leg of the rally, when he restarts after he retired before SS7.
Mārtiņš Sesks carrying heavy damage on shakedown
© At World
Driving a Ford Puma Rally1, Mārtiṇš Sesks hit back from his Shakedown off – which earned him a 20-second penalty for leaving service two minutes late – to finish day one in sixth place with Esapekka Lappi seventh on his first WRC start since Safari Rally Kenya in March. Lappi started SS6 in ninth but demoted both Josh McErlean and Elfyn Evans during the 17.43km test after set-up changes.
After dropping behind Lappi on SS3, Evans swept back in front of his Finnish rival by going 0.6sec quicker on SS5. But the road-opening championship leader had no answer to Lappi on SS6 and ended the day in ninth place. McErlean is 0.1sec behind Lappi in eighth.
Jon Armstrong is 10th having lost 30sec with front-left tyre damage on SS1 following a heavy landing over a jump.
The battle for Delfi Rally Estonia glory resumes on Saturday with the Peipsiääre test up first from 09:56 local time. It’s the first of nine stages scheduled for leg two, which covers a total timed distance of 149.60km.
