Sami Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen have claimed their first World Rally Championship victory at Rally Estonia, leading a Toyota one-two ahead of Oliver Solberg. The win means all five of Toyota Gazoo Racing’s current Rally1 drivers have now won a rally in 2026. Championship leader Elfyn Evans recovered to sixth and extended his points lead, while Toyota stretched its manufacturers’ advantage to 156 points.

Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team locked out the top two places at Rally Estonia, with 24-year-old Finn Sami Pajari scoring a controlled first World Rally Championship victory and Oliver Solberg completing the one-two.

A breakthrough for Pajari

The win comes almost exactly two years after Pajari made his debut in a GR Yaris Rally1 car during his 2024 WRC2 title campaign. It caps a strong run of form that had already brought five podiums in the previous eight rounds this season.

According to the team, Pajari looked comfortable on Estonia’s fast gravel roads from the outset. He won all seven stages on Friday, and after Solberg ended that run on Saturday morning, Pajari pushed his lead out to 25 seconds heading into the final day. Rain arrived on Sunday but did not unsettle him, and he took the flag 19.5 seconds clear.

Pajari joins Kalle Rovanperä (2021) and Solberg (2025) as a Toyota driver who has taken a maiden WRC win in Estonia. Because he competes under the separate TGR-WRT2 banner, his points count toward that entry, yet the result still lifted the main Toyota Gazoo Racing team’s manufacturers’ lead to 156 points.

Solberg maximises Sunday

Solberg, the reigning WRC2 champion and also 24, drove a measured rally back onto the podium alongside co-driver Elliott Edmondson. He collected maximum bonus points on the final day by topping both the Super Sunday and Power Stage classifications.

Sébastien Ogier finished fifth on his first Rally Estonia appearance since 2021, banking championship points with co-driver Vincent Landais.

Evans defends his championship lead

Running first on the road in dry, loose conditions, championship leader Elfyn Evans faced a difficult opening day as he swept a cleaner line for those behind. He and Scott Martin climbed from ninth to sixth over the weekend, and second place on Super Sunday plus third in the Power Stage stretched their title lead to 25 points.

Takamoto Katsuta’s weekend unravelled when tyre damage forced him to stop on Friday; he restarted on Saturday but had to open the road, eventually classified 21st. A single Power Stage point kept him second in the drivers’ standings.

“It’s simply an amazing feeling,” Pajari said. “After being so many times on the podium, there was no doubt this result was coming, but it’s never easy at this level. This is one of my favourite rallies together with Finland, and I was just enjoying the driving.”

Deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen praised the drive. “He was very calm from start to finish and did a perfect job; it was very impressive,” he said. “Now, all of our drivers have won a rally or two this year and that shows that we are doing something right.”

What it means

With five rounds remaining, Toyota’s five drivers are separated by just 47 points, underlining the internal fight for the crown. The next event is Rally Finland (30 July–2 August), the fastest round of the year and a home fixture for the team, which is based near the service park in Jyväskylä.

Facts: Rally Estonia result

  • Winner: Sami Pajari / Marko Salminen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1), 2h31m16.5s
  • 2nd: Oliver Solberg / Elliott Edmondson (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +19.5s
  • 3rd: Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +53.8s
  • 5th: Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (Toyota) +1m32.9s
  • 6th: Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (Toyota) +2m01.0s
  • Drivers’ championship leader: Elfyn Evans, 177 points
  • Manufacturers’ leader: Toyota Gazoo Racing, 464 points

The championship resumes at Rally Finland from 30 July to 2 August.

Source: newsroom.toyota.eu