Pajari holds off Neuville to lead after Friday drama

Toyota’s Sami Pajari will hold an overnight World Rally Championship event lead for the first time in his career after emerging from a dramatic opening day in Croatia.

Pajari produced an impressive drive through what proved to be eight tricky asphalt tests that resulted in retirements for championship leader Elfyn Evans, Monte Carlo winner Oliver Solberg, and M-Sport-Ford’s Jon Armstrong.

However, Finland’s Pajari, searching for maiden WRC win, balanced speed and risk, well to end Friday with 13.7s lead over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, with Safari Rally Kenya winner Takamoto Katsuta in third [+14.6s].

“Of course, it feels nice [to lead] but there is still a long way to go. I have been in the mix for the top positions a couple of times and at the minute, for me it is not changing too much if we are 10 seconds in front or 10 seconds behind.”

Drama unfolding in Croatia

Sami Pajari, Marko Salminen, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

Pajari inherited the rally lead following stage three when early leader Evans ran off the road at high speed after misjudging a right-hander. Evans had built up a 15.8s lead after winning the opening two stages of the rally. The Welshman was unable to recover the car back to the road after carrying too much speed into that tight corner and ultimately suffered a costly second consecutive retirement.

Evans wasn’t the only Toyota to hit trouble as Oliver Solberg suffered a retirement 4.8km into the rally on the opening stage. The Swede was caught out and clipped a rock face, sending his car off the road.

Toyota, however, maintained its position at the top of leaderboard through Pajari, who took an 8.4s lead over Katsuta, who also displayed the perfect balance of speed versus risk, into the midday service.

That gap grew to 10.2s when the action resumed in the afternoon with the asphalt stages featuring much more dirt from the first pass. Pajari posted a fastest time in stage five but the Finn began to come under pressure from Neuville, who rattled off back-to-back stage wins in stages six and seven.

Despite struggling with the balance of his i20 N at times, the 2024 world champion showed a much improved pace compared to recent events as he closed the deficit to Pajari down to 6.3s.

Thierry Neuville, Martijn Wydaeghe, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hyundai

However, Pajari responded in the final stage of the loop, winning the test by 3.6s from Katsuta. Neuville was unable to match Pajari in the stage and dropped 7.4s to leave him 13.7s adrift of the lead heading into Saturday.

“The stages were much more gravelly but still at the same time I was able to expect where the gravel would be based on the first pass, so for me the second pass was more enjoyable and straight forward,” said Pajari.

Knowing Toyota had already lost two of its factory cars in the morning, Katsuta adopted a sensible approach across the afternoon but remained firmly in the fight for victory.

“We had no mistakes, punctures or problems so it was a really clean day,” said Katsuta. “The team told me after the morning loop that I had to make sure I brought the car back. They didn’t put crazy pressure on but I really understood that I really need to get back as we still have two days to go. Tomorrow will be an even more tough day and anything can happen.”

While it is clear Hyundai still has plenty of more steps to take with its i20 N on asphalt, Neuville was clearly relieved to be involved in a victory fight.

Adrien Fourmaux, Alexandre Coria, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Hyundai

“It is going better than expected honestly,” said Neuville. “We found something and we were able to build on during the day. The speed is not where we want to be but we were able to compensate with the driving and that has kept us in the fight for a result,” said Neuville.

It proved to be a positive day for Hyundai with all three of its cars finishing the day inside the top five. Hayden Paddon, making his Rally Croatia debut, managed to avoid dramas to hold fourth, 1m15.0s adrift of the lead.

Team-mate Adrien Fourmaux ended the day in fifth [+1m54.6s], but it could have been even better for the Frenchman had he avoided a front right puncture in stage two, which resulted in a loss of 1m28.0s.

M-Sport-Ford’s Josh McErlean was the only other Rally1 car to complete the day’s mileage., The Irishman had been sitting in fifth before suffering a front left puncture that required a wheel change in stage seven.

Joshua Mcerlean, Eoin Treacy, M-Sport Ford World Rally Team Ford Puma Rally1

Photo by: M-Sport

Team-mate Armstrong impressed across the morning, running as high as third, before a front left puncture struck in stage two. The Northern Irishman was 0.1s away from a fastest time in stage three, but his day came to an end on the next test when he clattered a bank that damaged his front and rear right wheels.

Lancia proved the team to beat in WRC2 as Yohan Rossel reached service in the class lead, sitting in sixth overall. The Frenchman headed team-mate Nikolay Gryazin by 22.1s. Eight stages await the crews on Saturday.

1	S. Pajari M. Salminen Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2	5	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1
2	T. Neuville M. Wydaeghe Hyundai Motorsport	11	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	13.7
3	T. Katsuta A. Johnston Toyota Racing	18	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	0.9
4	H. Paddon J. Kennard Hyundai Motorsport	20	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	1’00.4
5	A. Fourmaux A. Coria Hyundai Motorsport	16	Hyundai i20 N Rally1	39.6
6	Y. Rossel A. Dunand Lancia Corse HF	29	Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale	51.3
7	N. Gryazin K. Aleksandrov Lancia Corse HF	28	Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale	22.1
8	A. Cachón B. Rozada Toyota España	30	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	19.9
9	L. Rossel G. Mercoiret 2C Compétition	21	Citroën C3 Rally2	7.2
10	R. Korhonen A. Viinikka Rautio Motorsport	22	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	11.9
11	J. McErlean E. Treacy M-Sport	55	Ford Puma Rally1	10.2
12	Y. Yamamoto J. Fulton Printsport	35	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	9.9
13	A. Pelamourgues B. Pouget	24	Hyundai i20 N Rally2	3.9
14	R. Jürgenson S. Oja M-Sport	32	Ford Fiesta Rally2	13.0
15	E. Lindholm G. Morales Toksport WRT	31	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	12.3
16	R. Daprà L. Guglielmetti	23	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	34.1
17	E. Camilli T. de la Haye	25	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	18.5
18	K. Kajetanowicz M. Szczepaniak	36	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	2.8
19	V. Prodan M. Stiperski	39	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1’02.9
20	T. Gill D. Brkic	27	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	41.8
21	P. Sarrazin Y. Roche	37	Citroën C3 Rally2	6.6
22	A. Mikkelsen J. Listerud Toksport WRT	26	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	3.7
23	C. Carlberg E. Jørgen	46	Ford Fiesta Rally3	24.2
24	B. Ten Brinke T. Woodburn	38	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	16.9
25	A. Türkkan O. Albayrak Castrol Ford Team Türkiye	49	Ford Fiesta Rally3	18.8
26	C. Rahill C. Smith Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy	52	Ford Fiesta Rally3	20.8
27	G. Membrado A. Pérez	50	Ford Fiesta Rally3	34.2
28	K. Kazaz C. Silvestre Team Petrol Ofisi	51	Ford Fiesta Rally3	4.9
29	L. Lassila M. Lukka	47	Ford Fiesta Rally3	47.3
30	G. Rossi K. Sarmezan	44	Ford Fiesta Rally3	7.6
31	J. Keferbock I. Minor	41	Toyota GR Yaris Rally2	10.2
32	R. Hernández J. Murado	48	Ford Fiesta Rally3	5.9
33	N. Otto Boehringer H. Magalhães	45	Ford Fiesta Rally3	1’37.8
34	E. Marotti A. Devunić	56	Škoda Fabia R5	1’38.7
35	M. Klemenčič V. Ošlaj	57	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	21.1
36	U. Soylu O. Vatansever GP Garage My Team	40	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	56.5
37	W. Zanotto P. Cargnelutti	54	Škoda Fabia RS Rally2	1’06.2
38	R. Sautron A. Sautron	58	Renault Clio Rally3	1’18.2
39	M. Fontana A. Arnaboldi	43	Ford Fiesta Rally3	14.1
40	S. Göttig N. Solbach-Schmidt	53	Hyundai i20 N Rally2	54.5
41	V. Čičko E. Kokolić	60	Peugeot 208 Rally4	33.7
42	I. Mandić A. Ivančić	62	Ford Fiesta Rally4	3’47.6
43	T. Hrvatin D. Simčić AK Rijeka	59	Ford Fiesta Rally4	3’19.0
44	H. Vossen R. van Hoek	42	Hyundai i20 N Rally2	2’08.6
45	C. Rădulescu B. Minea	64	Renault Clio Rally4	57.5
46	V. Mechl S. Mechl	63	Renault Clio Rally5	18.0
47	I. Tomljanović T. Škreblin AK Zagorje	61	Renault Clio Rally4	18’10.2
48	J. Armstrong S. Byrne M-Sport	95	Ford Puma Rally1	2’16.2
49	E. Evans S. Martin Toyota Racing	33	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	9’19.1
50	M. Johansson J. Grönvall M-Sport	34	Ford Fiesta Rally2	5’30.0
51	O. Solberg E. Edmondson Toyota Racing	99	Toyota GR Yaris Rally1	14’30.0