Third WRC2 victory of the season for Pajari and Mälkönen in Greece

Enni Mälkönen navigated Sami Pajari to their third WRC2 victory of the season at the Acropolis Rally in Greece, winning by a tie-break after an intense showdown while also securing fourth overall and continuing their strong championship run.

Photo by Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool

Greece was ready for the next round of the World Rally Championship, and so were Finnish duo Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen, who claimed their third victory of the season in a thrilling showdown on Sunday, as the pair limped to the finish with a puncture and ended up with the exact same overall time as Robert Virves.

The rally, held on the rocky tracks of the mountains north of Athens, started with excitement. Yohan Rossel set a fast pace and dominated the first half of Friday, building up a 46.5-second lead, but later came to a stop to change a wheel, losing more than two minutes.

Meanwhile, Robert Virves battled his way from fourth to the lead over the course of the day, posting fast times despite nearly missing the rally: a crowdfunding campaign in his homeland Estonia had in fact raised the funds to get him into the car for this week’s event.

Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen faced a challenging day, with a puncture in the first stage. Fortunately, it occurred near the end of the stage, so they didn’t lose much time. However, they struggled to find the right pace in the following stages, but still ended Friday in second place, behind Virves.

Things changed quickly on Saturday, as the Finnish duo found their rhythm, taking the lead from Virves heading into Sunday, with a strong chance of securing their third victory of the season. Going into the Power Stage, they had a 30-second lead over Virves.

However, around five kilometers from the finish, a deflating front-left tyre slowed Pajari and Mälkönen, allowing Virves to close the gap. Despite the setback, the pair refused to give up and brought their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to the finish line, ending up with the exact same time as Virves after the three-day event.

According to the rules, the victory goes to the team with the fastest time on the opening stage, which was Pajari and Mälkönen, who were 19.7 seconds faster than Virves.

“About five kilometers from the finish, I realized we had a puncture, and I knew the best option was to keep going rather than stop to change it," said Sami Pajari.

The pair also finished fourth overall and once again showcased their potential for the future of rallying.

Sami and Enni are currently second in the drivers' and co-drivers' standings, just three points behind leaders Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson, setting up an exciting championship battle for the rest of the season.

The duo will also compete in two more rallies this season in the Rally1 car, following their impressive debut in Finland. They will take part in Rally Chile Bio Bio (September 26-29) and the Central European Rally (October 17-20) in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 Hybrid.

“We wanted to see more of what he can do in a Rally1 car", said Jari-Matti Latvala, Toyota team principal. "The main goal in Finland was to gain experience, but he already demonstrated his high potential. As we look to invest further in talented young drivers for the future, it’s important to learn more about Sami’s abilities, firstly on some different gravel roads on the other side of the world in Chile, and then on asphalt in Central Europe. He will be driving a fourth car, so there is no pressure on him to contribute towards the championship. For us, it’s more about investing in the future and gaining that experience."

Enni Mälkönen currently sits second in the WRC2 Co-driver championship standings.

Photo by Jaanus Ree / Red Bull Content Pool