Sami Pajari will make his top-class debut during the eighth round of the 2024 WRC season, Rally Latvia.
Stepping Up
Sami Pajari has been a star for the last two seasons in the WRC2 category. Spending last season in a Toksport run Škoda, Pajari took home his first WRC2 win at his home event in Finland. He also managed to take home podiums in Sweden, Estonia and Chile to finish seventh in the championship. This season Pajari moved to a Printsport run Toyota Yaris Rally2. The 22-year-old has finished on the podium at every event he’s scored points at. Finishing second in Sweden and taking home the win in Sardinia earlier this month. For Rally Latvia Pajari will step into a fourth Toyota Yaris Rally1. Pajari will join Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and one of Kalle Rovanperä or Sébastien Ogier for the event.
Not The Only One
Pajari won’t be the only one making his top-class debut in Latvia. As Martins Sesks will also be making his debut that weekend. However, Sesks will be driving a hybrid-less M-Sport Ford Puma. Pajari will be driving a full-spec Toyota Yaris Rally1. Pajari and Sesks have a bit of history with one another. As both drivers battled one another in the Junior WRC Championship years ago. I’m 2020 Sesks finished second in the championship, just three points ahead of Pajari. The next year Pajari won the championship while Sesks finished third.
What To Expect From Pajari
Much like Sesks, don’t expect much from Pajari over the course of the weekend. As he will have to learn a brand new car throughout the weekend. That being said I wouldn’t be surprised if the 22-year-old put up some top-five stage times throughout the weekend. If I had to guess an overall finishing position for Pajari it would be somewhere between 5th and 7th out of the 10 rally1 cars attending the event. Looking at past statistics Pajari hasn’t done bad on fast gravel rallies, which is what Latvia is. Once he learns the car he shouldn’t have a difficult time keeping up with some of the regulars like Takamoto Katsuta. Plus that prediction also keeps in mind others may have issues throughout the weekend.