SAMI PAJARI RALLY ESTONIA VICTORY LEADS TOYOTA ONE-TWO

Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen celebrating their first FIA World Rally Championship victory.

PAJARI CLAIMS HIS MAIDEN WRC WIN BY 19.5 SECONDS AS SOLBERG COMPLETES A TOYOTA ONE-TWO

Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen claimed their first FIA World Rally Championship win at Rally Estonia, leading a one-two result for Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team.

The Sami Pajari Rally Estonia victory arrived two years after the Finnish driver made his GR Yaris Rally1 debut during his 2024 WRC2 title campaign. It also followed five podium finishes across the opening eight rallies of his 2026 season.

Pajari immediately established himself at the front by winning all seven stages on Friday. Oliver Solberg ended that sequence on Saturday morning, but Pajari responded and increased his advantage to 25 seconds before the final day.

Despite rain threatening to change the conditions on Sunday, Pajari maintained control and secured victory by 19.5 seconds.

“Pajari won every stage on Friday before controlling the remainder of the rally to secure his maiden WRC victory by 19.5 seconds.”

The result means all five of Toyota’s current Rally1 drivers have won during the 2026 season. Pajari also joins Toyota teammates Kalle Rovanperä, who earned his first WRC win in Estonia in 2021, and Solberg, who achieved the same milestone in 2025.

Solberg and Elliott Edmondson completed the Toyota one-two and collected maximum bonus points by winning both the Super Sunday and Power Stage classifications.

Sébastien Ogier and Vincent Landais finished fifth on Ogier’s first Rally Estonia appearance since 2021. Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin recovered from ninth to finish sixth after opening the road in dry and loose conditions on Friday. Second place on Super Sunday and third in the Power Stage increased Evans’ championship lead to 25 points.

Takamoto Katsuta and Aaron Johnston stopped with tyre damage while running sixth on Friday. They restarted on Saturday, opened the road for the remainder of the event and collected one Power Stage point.

Pajari moves to third in the championship, behind leader Evans and second-placed Katsuta. Ogier is fourth and Solberg fifth, with Toyota’s five drivers separated by 47 points and five rallies remaining.

Although Pajari competed under the separate TGR-WRT2 banner, Toyota increased its manufacturers’ championship lead to 156 points.

Toyota also placed two GR Yaris Rally2 crews on the WRC2 podium. Teemu Suninen and Janni Hussi finished second, while Roope Korhonen and Anssi Viinikka placed third, with both crews less than 10 seconds behind the category winner.

KEY POINTS

• Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen claimed their first WRC victory.

• Pajari won all seven stages held on Friday.

• He started the final day with a 25-second lead.

• Pajari won Rally Estonia by 19.5 seconds.

• Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson completed a Toyota one-two.

• Solberg topped both Super Sunday and the Power Stage.

• Sébastien Ogier finished fifth overall.

• Elfyn Evans recovered from ninth to finish sixth.

• Evans increased his championship lead to 25 points.

• Pajari moved into third place in the championship.

• Toyota increased its manufacturers’ championship lead to 156 points.

• Toyota crews finished second and third in WRC2.

TOYOTA RALLY ESTONIA RESULTS

1. Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen

2. Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson — 19.5 seconds behind

5. Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais

6. Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin

WRC2

2. Teemu Suninen / Janni Hussi

3. Roope Korhonen / Anssi Viinikka