WRC Croatia Rally 2026

Sami Pajari ended Friday with the lead of Croatia Rally after a bruising opening leg in Istria turned the event on its head and left two of the pre-rally favourites on the sidelines.

Sami Pajari emerged with a slender lead at Friday’s midday service after a bruising opening loop of Croatia Rally ripped through the frontrunners and turned the leaderboard on its head.

Oliver Solberg set the pace on Thursday’s Croatia Rally shakedown, heading a Toyota Gazoo Racing 1-2 on the championship’s return to pure asphalt.

Croatia Rally returns to the WRC calendar this week for round four of the 2026 season, marking the first pure asphalt event of the year and the beginning of a crucial new phase in the title race.

A change in location prompting an itinerary overhaul will ensure Croatia’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship will provide “a bit of everything”, according to M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean.