Sami Pajari Nears First WRC Victory at Rally Estonia

Finnish driver Sami Pajari led the 2026 World Rally Championship round in Estonia with a comfortable margin of roughly 24‑25 seconds over teammate Oliver Solberg. After winning all seven special stages on Friday, Pajari extended his lead to 14.7 seconds on Saturday and then added further time gains, putting him on course for his first overall WRC win and to become the 83rd rally victor in the series.

The rally’s final day featured two repeats of the long Kääriku Power Stage. Pajari remained unbeaten in the majority of the remaining stages, while Solberg won a few to keep the intra‑team battle alive. Other podium contenders included Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Thierry Neuville, who fought for third place, and former champion Sébastien Ogier, who stayed in the top five. In the WRC‑2 class, Estonia’s own Robert Virves led the category.

If Pajari avoids any mishap on the remaining stages, he will claim his maiden WRC rally win, securing a historic first for the 24‑year‑old Finnish driver.