Sami Pajari’s Rally1 Reality Check After Finland Debut Magic

March 10, 2025

by Luke Barry // from dirtfish.com

• Sami Pajari’s meteoric Rally Finland debut last August – posting fastest stage time on just his ninth Rally1 stage and finishing fourth overall – created unrealistic expectations that his 2025 full-time campaign was always going to struggle to match. The Finnish driver admits his breakout performance “set the boundary quite high” for external observers.
• Reality has hit hard in early 2025, with Pajari retiring from Monte Carlo and managing only seventh in Sweden after hitting a snowbank. With just six points and no podiums, it’s a harsh reminder that even the most promising debuts don’t guarantee immediate success in WRC’s top category.
• Heading to Safari Rally Kenya – an event he’s only done recce for previously – Pajari remains grounded about his development timeline. He acknowledges the “very different challenge” ahead while showing flashes of pace when conditions align, proving his Finland speed wasn’t entirely a fluke.

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