Sami Pajari says finishing Rally Finland is his main objective rather than lighting up the timing screens in his “moment of truth” top-flight World Rally Championship debut.
Toyota has handed highly-rated WRC2 title contenders Pajari and co-driver Enni Malkonen a graduation to Rally1 machinery for their home event on fast gravel in Finland this weekend.
Pajari has long been touted as a future prospect for Toyota with the Finn impressing many this year to sit second in the WRC2 title race, having taken class wins in Sardinia and Poland.
While admitting that his career has been leading to such an opportunity, Pajari says there is no pressure on him to perform or follow in the footsteps of Martins Sesks, who impressed after making the step up to Rally1. Sesks finished fifth driving a non-hybrid Ford Puma in Poland before challenging for a podium on home soil in Latvia earlier this month.
“For me, it feels like the moment of truth. I don't mean it like I need to make a good result, but it's like the moment when I'm really able to try properly with the Rally1 car for the first time,” said Pajari, who has completed two and half days of testing in the GR Yaris Rally1 car in preparation.
“It has been the dream for a really long time and also the plan for many years when we have been building the career [towards], so it's like a really nice big benchmark.
“I think there isn’t any goal from the result side. There's not any kind of pressure that I need to really perform on some level, or to make some result or stage times.
“I would just like to reach the finish and gain the full experience from the event and in that way get better and prepare for the future.
“Of course, no one can expect something that you will really be fighting for the win on the first event. If you can do a solid event and have a good feeling and good flow in the car and enjoy the event, I think the times will get better.
“I think Finland will be more tricky. I know the stages quite well myself but not with those cars, so it's a fully different story with those cars.”
It is a view shared by his Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala, who isn’t expecting Pajari to replicate Sesks’ impressive display in Latvia.
“I don’t expect Sami to be of a similar level to Martins Sesks was in Latvia,” Latvala, who will contest the rally in a GR Yaris Rally2 car,” told Autosport/Motorsport.com.
“It is different story, it is the first event and [Latvia was new to most drivers other than Sesks]. When you go to Finland the top guys have a lot of experience, so you are starting from a different position.
“I have said [to Sami] get used to the car, get your experience understand what it is like with the Rally1, where things happen quicker and then that will help him for the future.
"In Finland, if you wanted to get a seat at a manufacturer immediately you would need to finish inside the top three or win the event. Don’t go that way and think about it like that and hopefully there will be more events next year.”
