Toyota Gazoo Racing team driver Sami Pajari/ TEDDY MULEI After a strong debut on Kenya’s unforgiving terrain last year, Finnish youngster Sami Pajari is optimistic of punching above his weight this season as he eyes an improved finish at the legendary Safari Rally Kenya.
During last year’s edition of the showpiece, Pajari and his co-driver Marko Salminen clocked 4:27:22.5 to secure a fourth-place finish overall.
The rally was won by Elfyn Evans in 4:20:03.8, with Ott Tänak (4:21:13.7) and Thierry Neuville (4:23:35.8) completing the podium.
Having now sampled the brutal demands of the Safari’s punishing stages, the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver is aiming for a more spirited charge in his second appearance this weekend.
“Last year was my first time doing the Safari Rally. It was really exciting. I was happy to compete, and I finished fourth,” Pajari said.
“For this year, I will try to have a little bit more pace. This is a tricky rally—you have to trust your speed and make sure you get through without any issues.”
“I will try to be more competitive this time and get closer to the front,” he added. The 24-year-old has already made a solid start to the 2026 World Rally Championship campaign.
After suffering heartbreak in the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo in Monaco, where he was forced to retire following a crash, Pajari bounced back in style with a podium finish in the second round at Rally Sweden. In Sweden, he clocked an accumulated time of 2:36:39.1 to finish behind Evans (2:35:53.1) and Takamoto Katsuta (2:36:07.4).
In the overall WRC standings so far, the youngster sits seventh with 17 points. Evans leads the championship with 60 points, followed by Oliver Solberg on 47 points and Katsuta with 30. Pajari noted that his main target in Kenya will be to attack selected stages to trim his overall time. “You also need to find sections where you can push to make good times,” he said.
However, he remains wary of some of the Safari’s notoriously punishing stages. “There were some tricky stages like the Sleeping Warrior, which is a very long stage.”
“You also get to see many wild animals, which is cool, unless they are standing in the middle of the road,” he noted with a smile. Another section he is keeping a close eye on is Kedong, famous for its world-renowned “fesh fesh”, fine volcanic dust that can swallow rally machines and wreak havoc on visibility.
“It’s a unique thing you face in this rally alone. I have to be prepared, but the weather may also have affected the roads. It’s been raining, so maybe the fesh fesh won’t be there this year.”
Despite the challenges, Pajari highlighted what makes the Safari Rally stand out on the global calendar. “It’s more like an adventure compared to some of the other rallies. It’s very unique.”
He also pointed to Toyota’s remarkable dominance at the Safari, with the Japanese manufacturer winning every edition since the rally returned to the WRC calendar in 2021. “It’s nice to drive for Toyota, and the manufacturer has been doing very well in Kenya, so we are hoping for good results this weekend.”
“It’s deep in Toyota’s DNA to make reliable cars, and that’s exactly what you need in this difficult rally,” he said.
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