Where Sami Pajari can improve after WRC title near miss
Sami Pajari has already identified the area where he needs to improve after missing out on a maiden World Rally Championship title by six points. The Toyota driver headed into last weekend’s title decider in Sardinia as the nearest rival to eventual champion Elfyn Evans, sitting 17 points adrift, but ultimately ended the year third in the standings. Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen were ...…
Sami Pajari recently reflected on his World Rally Championship (WRC) performance, acknowledging the six-point margin that prevented him from securing his maiden title. Following the title decider in Sardinia, the Toyota driver finished third in the standings, 17 points behind eventual champion Elfyn Evans. Despite their efforts, Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen could not close the gap, marking the closest their rivalry had come in the season.
The pair showcased their competitive abilities with nine podium finishes from 13 rounds, including a maiden WRC victory in Estonia and a string of consecutive wins in Finland and Paraguay. Reflecting on their achievements, Pajari emphasized their happiness with the season, stating that they were "very, very happy" despite falling short of the title.
He acknowledged the potential for future title contention, stating, "I think we need to be very, very happy... and it's only my second season at the top level." Pajari identified one area for improvement: taking more risks. He explained that he sometimes holds back, even when it seems advantageous to push harder. An example was provided from Sunday's race, where he noted that they saw him taking a little more risk.
However, the 24-year-old stressed that he remained crash-free during this period, proving that his speed on Sunday was not compromised.
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