Pajari hunts down 2024 WRC2 title in Japan

Although the Finnish driver, co-driven by Enni Mälkönen, enters the final round of the season third in the points standings, trailing Oliver Solberg and Yohan Rossel, the title is well within his reach thanks to the consideration of dropped scores.

To clinch the crown, Pajari needs to finish second or higher. If he falls short, Solberg, who has already completed the maximum seven rallies and is not competing in Japan, will take the title.

Pajari will have the support of Toyota GAZOO Racing, with whom he has also contested several Rally1 events this season. The Japanese manufacturer is hoping to see its GR Yaris Rally2 secure a world title in its debut season.

"I don't feel any particular pressure from the rally itself," Pajari admitted. "An earlier event could have gone worse, and the championship chance might have slipped away then. We're happy to be in this position and we'll approach it as just another rally among many. We'll do our best and see what the result is at the end."

"We've learned and developed in every area,” he continued. “We've been consistently quick throughout the season, securing podiums in various rallies. It feels like this year has flown by, with only one race left. The wins in Sardinia, Poland, and Greece have been the highlights, and the experiences in the Rally1 car stand out the most."

As a team-mate to Solberg at Toksport this season, Britain’s Gus Greensmith has pledged to help keep Solberg’s title hopes alive by pushing for a win, despite being out of contention for the championship himself. Polish stars Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Daniel Chwist have also entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 cars similar to Greensmith’s.

There are seven GR Yaris Rally2s entered in WRC2, including one for newly crowned British Rally Champions Chris Ingram and Alex Kihurani.