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26 clusters · 138 sources · 40 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: SPORTS

WRC 2026: Pajari clinches first Estonia win

Entities: World Rally Championship · Jyväskylä · Sami Pajari · Toyota · Estonia

Overview

Finnish rookie Sami Pajari turned a dominant start at the 2026 Rally Estonia into his maiden World Rally Championship victory, leading 12 of the 18 stages and finishing 19.5 seconds ahead of teammate Oliver Solberg. The Toyota 1‑2 finish was completed by Adrien Fourmaux in third, with Thierry Neuville fourth and Sébastien Ogier fifth. The win moved Pajari to third in the overall standings, 33 points behind leader Elfyn Evans and eight points behind Takamoto Katsuta, and marked the sixth different winner of the season. Pajari, the 17th Finnish driver to win a WRC event and the first Finnish Toyota driver to do so in Estonia, called the result “something truly amazing” and thanked his team and supporters.

Looking ahead, Pajari said he has “nothing to lose in Finland” and will approach the upcoming Jyväskylä round with a relaxed attitude, hoping to add a home victory to his résumé. He stressed that consistent podium finishes and respecting rivals are crucial for a title challenge, noting that his season has already featured several podiums as well as a few puncture setbacks. The victory gave him a huge sense of relief and confidence as he eyes the championship hunt.

In the support categories, Robert Virves took the WRC‑2 class win despite a minor speeding breach during reconnaissance, while stewards fined several competitors for speed‑limit violations that did not affect final positions.

Timeline

  1. 1 day ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Sami Pajari eyes championship after first WRC win in Estonia

    Finnish driver Sami Pajari claimed his first WRC win in Estonia, moving to third in the standings and targeting another victory at the upcoming Jyväskylä rally.

  2. 8 days ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Finland's Sami Pajari Wins Rally Estonia, Eyes Home Rally Victory

    Finnish driver Sami Pajari, 24, secured his first WRC win at Rally Estonia, rising to third in the championship and targeting a victory at the forthcoming Finnish round.

  3. 11 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Oliver Solberg secures mental boost with second place at Estonia WRC rally

    Oliver Solberg finished second at the WRC Rally Estonia, calling the result a vital mental boost after recent setbacks and earning a 10‑point bonus.

  4. 11 days ago

    [SPORTS] 41 sources
    Sami Pajari clinches first WRC victory at Rally Estonia

    Finnish rookie Sami Pajari claimed his first WRC win at Rally Estonia, beating Oliver Solberg by 19.5 seconds, giving Toyota a 1‑2 finish and lifting Pajari to third in the championship.

  5. 13 days ago

    [SPORTS] 48 sources
    Sami Pajari Nears First WRC Victory at Rally Estonia

    Finnish driver Sami Pajari leads Rally Estonia by ~25 seconds, on the brink of his first WRC win as Oliver Solberg trails; other rivals battle for podium.

  6. 14 days ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Rally Estonia: Oliver Solberg dominates overall while Robert Virves clinches WRC2 victory

    Oliver Solberg led the overall Rally Estonia while Estonia’s Robert Virves won the WRC2 class, despite speed‑limit fines handed to several drivers including Sébastien Ogier.

  7. 23 days ago

    [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Ott Tänak inches toward WRC comeback as Toyota tests him for 2027 season

    World champion Ott Tänak, now a Toyota test driver, has trialled the GR Yaris Rally2 in Rome and the Rally1 in Finland, fueling talk of a 2027 WRC comeback, though he says no plan exists yet.

  8. 25 days ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Polish drivers claim historic Eurocup‑3 podium and finish 10th in Rally Rome

    Polish driver Kacper Sztuka earned his team's first Eurocup‑3 podium at Imola, while Marczyk and Gospodarczyk finished 10th in Rally Rome after technical setbacks.

  9. 25 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Rally drivers Oitt Tanak and Heiki Kobalainen showcase strong performances in Rome events

    Oitt Tanak tested a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 in ERC Rome, hinting at a possible WRC return, while Heiki Kobalainen finished 6th in the Italian Rally Championship with a Citroën C3 Rally2, aiming to improve.

  10. 29 days ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Sebastien Ogier claims victory at the 2026 Acropolis Rally in Greece

    Sebastien Ogier won the 2026 Acropolis Rally in Greece, with Thierry Neuville second and Jon Armstrong third, while Evans fell to seventh in the WRC standings.

  11. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Polish motorsport teams win speedway derby and claim podiums in European rally events

    Polish motorsport wins: Stal Rzeszów lifts speedway derby, Abramowski/Wróbel take second in Greece's WRC3, and several Polish crews entered for the upcoming ERC Rome Rally.

  12. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Sebastien Ogier Wins Acropolis Rally in Greece

    Sebastien Ogier claimed his 69th WRC win and second Acropolis Rally victory in Greece, edging out Thierry Neuville and Takamoto Katsuta and keeping his 2026 title hopes alive.

  13. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Sebastien Ogier wins Rally Acrópolis in Greece

    Sebastien Ogier claimed his second Rally Acrópolis win, beating Thierry Neuville by 58.3 seconds and moving to third in the WRC drivers' standings as Toyota leads the manufacturers' table.

  14. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Turkish rally driver Ali Türkkan crashes out of Greece's Acropolis Rally

    Turkish driver Ali Türkkan and co‑pilot Oytun Albayrak crashed on stage 12 of Greece's Acropolis Rally; Türkkan is fine, Albayrak was hospitalized, and both withdrew from the race.

  15. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Tieri Nebil retains lead in Greece's Acropolis Rally as Sébastien Ogier narrows gap

    Tieri Nebil leads Greece's Acropolis Rally, with Sébastien Ogier close behind after Saturday's stages; safety changes were made to the route.

  16. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 51 sources
    Sebastien Ogier wins Acropolis Rally Greece 2026

    Sebastien Ogier won the 2026 Acropolis Rally in Greece, beating Thierry Neuville after the Belgian suffered punctures; Ogier earned 35 points and moved to third in the WRC standings.

  17. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Sebastien Ogier leads ERC Rally Acropolis after 14th stage

    Sebastien Ogier seized the overall lead at the 2026 ERC Rally Acropolis after the 14th stage, edging Thierry Neuville by 1.3 seconds; Adrien Fourmaux posted the fastest time.

  18. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Robert Virves Takes WRC2 Lead After Winning Greek Rally

    Estonian Robert Virves won the Greek rally, taking the WRC2 lead ahead of the next Rally Estonia.

  19. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Neuville Leads Acropolis Rally Amid Spectator Hardship

    Thierry Neuville kept the Acropolis Rally lead by 4.1 s over Sébastien Ogier, while spectators faced long walks, extreme heat and scant facilities in Greece.

  20. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    WRC Acropolis Rally Greece Day 3: Neuville Leads, Ogier Close Behind

    Neuville kept the lead in Day 3 of the 2026 WRC Acropolis Rally in Greece, ahead of Ogier by 4.1 s, with Takumi Katsu third; Flomo dropped after a puncture.

  21. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 21 sources
    Thierry Neuville Leads Acropolis Rally as Ogier Trims Gap

    Neuville leads the Acropolis Rally by 9.7 s over Ogier; multiple punctures affect leaders and the FIA shortens a stage over tyre‑safety concerns.

  22. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Sebastian Ogier tops Acropolis Rally super‑special stage in Greece

    Sebastian Ogier won the opening super‑special of the Acropolis Rally in Greece, posting 1:38.22; Takamoto Katsuta and Teri Neuville were second and third.

  23. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Thierry Neuville tops Acropolis Rally 2026 after shakedown and first stage

    Thierry Neuville led the 2026 Acropolis Rally after a fastest shakedown and a solid first day, while multiple rivals retired due to tyre punctures.

  24. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 3 sources
    Acropolis Rally kicks off at Athens' Ellinikon Sports Park

    The 70th Acropolis Rally began at Athens' Ellinikon Sports Park, featuring a sea leg and a Super Special Stage. Sébastien Ogier led the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, with 57 crews from 24 countries competing.

  25. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 21 sources
    Sébastien Ogier leads Acropolis Rally Greece after opening super‑special

    Sébastien Ogier won the opening super‑special of the 2026 Acropolis Rally Greece, with Takamoto Katsuta second and Thierry Neuville third, as the event begins with tough gravel stages and high temperatures.

  26. about 1 month ago

    [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Hyundai and Toyota face uncertainty over 2027 World Rally Championship plans

    Hyundai has yet to decide on a 2027 WRC car, possibly teaming with private Rally2 squads, while Toyota tests a new prototype focused on aerodynamics, eyeing competition against Rally2 cars.

Sources

4troxoi.gr · abola.pt · affaritaliani.it · archive.in.gr · archysport.com · as-web.jp · athina984.gr · auto-moto.com · auto.cz · autoaction.com.au · autogear.pt · autohebdo.fr · autosport.com · autosport.pt · autosportwereld.be · autoszektor.hu · autotypos.gr · baby.dk · cachedata.sport.sk · campeones.com.ar · carandmotor.gr · ceskenoviny.cz · clubs1.bg · cnn.gr · cosenzapage.it · dataprotection.technology · denniksport.sk · diariomotor.com · dirtfish.com · e-typos.com · efsyn.gr · emissoradasbeiras.pt · en.protothema.gr · enikos.gr · es.motorsport.com · ess.fi · ethnos.gr · europesays.com · flash.gr · focus-news.bg · formulapassion.it · formularapida.net · forssanlehti.fi · fr.motorsport.com · gazetedamga.com.tr · gazzetta.gr · goal.philenews.com · hameensanomat.fi