Sami Pajari Claims Maiden WRC Victory at Rally Estonia, Boosts 2026 Championship Challenge

Estonia, July 20, 2026: Sami Pajari produced a flawless performance to claim his maiden FIA World Rally Championship victory at the 2026 Delfi Rally Estonia, becoming the 83rd different winner in WRC history and significantly tightening the battle for this year’s drivers’ title.

The 24-year-old Finn, co-driven by compatriot Marko Salminen, dominated the high-speed gravel event in his Hankook-equipped Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, leading from the opening stage to the finish in Tartu. Pajari won 12 special stages and crossed the line 19.5 seconds clear of Toyota teammate Oliver Solberg.

The breakthrough triumph earned Pajari 28 championship points, lifting him to third in the provisional drivers’ standings on 144 points, just 33 behind championship leader Elfyn Evans.

The victory also marked Finland’s 199th triumph in World Rally Championship history, adding another milestone to the nation’s illustrious rallying legacy.

Pajari Delivers a Career-Defining Drive

Pajari was in complete control throughout the weekend, entering Sunday’s final two stages with a comfortable 25-second advantage over Solberg.

Although Solberg edged Pajari on both Sunday stages—including the Wolf Power Stage—the margins were too small to threaten the Finn’s overall lead. Pajari managed the final kilometres perfectly to secure his first WRC victory and his sixth podium finish of the 2026 season.

An emotional Pajari reflected on his landmark achievement after the finish.

“It’s something so amazing, maybe I didn’t really realise what I’ve just done,” said Pajari. “Thank you to everybody working at Toyota Gazoo Racing. I’m super-happy and super-grateful for all the support and trust. I thank myself for not giving up. Now I’ve done it—it feels good.”

Pajari joins Kalle Rovanperä (2021) and Oliver Solberg (2025) as first-time WRC winners in Estonia and becomes the 17th Finnish driver to win a World Rally Championship event outright.

Solberg Bounces Back with Strong Second Place

Oliver Solberg delivered one of his strongest weekends of the season to finish second, ending a difficult run of recent events.

The Rallye Monte-Carlo winner claimed maximum points on Super Sunday and also won the Wolf Power Stage, allowing him to leave Estonia with an impressive 27-point haul.

“It has been a very good weekend,” Solberg said. “It’s been a couple of hard rallies. I didn’t have the full confidence to push at 100 per cent like Sami had. He deserved it.”

Hyundai Duo Locked in Podium Battle

Adrien Fourmaux successfully defended third place from Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville during Sunday’s final stages.

Neuville had reduced the gap throughout Saturday after changes to his Hyundai i20 N Rally1’s transmission settings improved the car’s balance. However, Fourmaux responded strongly on Sunday morning, extending his advantage enough to secure the final podium position.

Neuville later revealed he was distracted before Sunday’s opening stage after urgent work was required on the car’s hearing communication system, ultimately settling for fourth.

Evans Extends Championship Lead

Reigning world champion Sébastien Ogier finished fifth on his return to Rally Estonia for the first time since 2021.

Championship leader Elfyn Evans crossed the line sixth after suffering from the disadvantage of opening the road on Friday. Despite missing out on a podium challenge, the Welshman extended his championship advantage to 25 points over Toyota teammate Takamoto Katsuta, who endured tyre damage earlier in the rally.

Mārtiņš Sesks was the leading M-Sport Ford driver in seventh despite a difficult weekend that included a Shakedown accident and tyre problems, while Hyundai’s Esapekka Lappi finished eighth on his first WRC appearance since Safari Rally Kenya.

Virves Triumphs in WRC2 on Home Soil

Estonian driver Robert Virves delighted local fans by winning the WRC2 category in his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Virves secured victory by 7.6 seconds and also collected a €25,000 prize awarded by WRC Promoter as the event’s top local talent. Teemu Suninen snatched second place from Roope Korhonen by just 1.2 seconds after a thrilling final-stage showdown.

Rally Finland Up Next

The championship now heads to another fast gravel classic, Secto Rally Finland, scheduled for 30 July to 2 August, where Pajari will aim to continue his momentum on home roads while Evans looks to strengthen his championship lead.

2026 Rally Estonia – Final Overall Classification