Pajari Ready For Croatian Asphalt Adventure

Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen are well-prepared as they start the Croatian round of the World Rally Championship on Friday. The Printsport Racing team's Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 car was tested over two days on the weekend before the rally near Zagreb. The weather is always an interesting factor in this event, which is being run for the fourth time as a World Championship event, and this year makes no exception.

‍For Sami Pajari, starting on the Croatian asphalt marks his fourth time in his career, meaning he has participated every time the rally has been held. The conditions in the event are challenging even when dry; the asphalt varies in grip and condition, and the tracks often cut sharply, bringing grass, mud, or sand onto the road, with a rough edge always posing a risk of tire damage. Weather conditions can vary from hot sunbath to cool rain or dense fog, which in the past has led to the cancellation of special stages.

Weather forecasts change frequently, and the route reaches nearly 1200 meters at its highest point between the Adriatic Sea and the inland, making the conditions within even a single special stage highly variable.

"I feel good about the pre-event tests overall. This time we had very summery conditions during the tests, and it seems once again that we might not have dry roads for the entire event. The forecasts are still changing, and I wouldn’t mind some rain," Pajari reflects.

Pajari has had both outstanding performances and less celebrated moments in Croatia in previous years, making it potentially his most eventful competition if considering the past years overall.

In 2021, Pajari skidded off the lead in the JWRC category into the bushes on the rally's second special stage. The journey continued with a crippled vehicle, and important points were in the end collected for that year's championship.

The year after, the rally's third-last special stage slapped Pajari with rain-soaked gloves, resulting in a slide deep into a water ditch with retirement-worthy results. The same stage is again on Sunday's agenda this time around too.

Last time around was Pajari’s first on the more robust Rally2 equipment in Croatia, with several impressive skids, and at least one spin, but the most unusual incident occurred when a mandatory barrel maneuver was set up for the amusement of the audience: The car's front hit the barrel, resulting in a 10-second penalty. Pajari finished fifth in their class, 8.1 seconds behind Adrien Fourmaux in front.

This year, the Pajari-Mälkönen duo is not collecting points in Croatia, but having last competed on the Swedish snow in February, they are tuning up their rally routines for the upcoming busy summer season.

"This event always puts up a fight; it doesn’t let you off easy, as we've seen in previous years, and many have had their own issues over the years here. I wouldn’t mind if it went a bit smoother sometimes, at least for me," laughs Pajari."

The route is mostly familiar from previous editions, though some sections are now reversed. Knowing the region better now certainly helps, as I remember where the asphalt grips well and where it doesn’t. There’s no problem getting into the racing mood here; the crowd is always huge everywhere, so the atmosphere is definitely right and it helps you perform your best.

"The Croatian route includes a total of 20 special stages, covering 283 kilometers. The Shakedown is held on Thursday morning, but the real competition begins on Friday morning. Many of the stages are very close to the northern border with Slovenia, and at least one road section on Saturday runs right along the border line.

Friday features four separate stages, each run twice. Friday's itinerary is quite different from the usual; the route heads west from the central location in Zagreb toward the coastal city of Rijeka for a regroup and an opportunity for a tire change. The morning stages are then run in reverse order back to Zagreb, which keeps the road section as short as possible. Friday’s stages total just under 120 kilometers.

On Saturday, the focus shifts back toward the coast, but the 4 stages in total are more concentrated near Zagreb and the service park in Jablanovec, before heading out to run the same loop again. The fast stages on Saturday cover just under 109 kilometers.

Sunday features two separate stages north of Zagreb, run twice each, but without returning to the service area in between, leading up to the concluding Power Stage near Kumrovec. On Sunday, the competitors battle against the clock for just under 55 kilometers of special stage distance until the winners are determined.