Urheilu’s rally expert Henri Haapamäki considers Toyota’s solution to be the best solution for Sami Pajar’s career.
Sami Pajari will become one of the toughest names in the World Rally Championship when he drives a Toyota Rally1 car for the whole season next year. Previously, it was assumed that Pajari would only drive part of the season in the main class.
Urheilu’s rally expert Henri Haapamäki considers the solution the best solution for Pajar’s career.
– This is proof from Toyota that they really value Pajar as a driver. He is currently one of these guys on the driver market, to whom such an opportunity should be given, if it is meant to be given to someone, says Haapamäki.
There is a buzz around Pajar, as he announced on Sunday, after securing the WRC2 championship, that the three-year cooperation map reader Enni Mälkönen ends with
A disappointed Mälkönen said on social mediathat the decision was Pajarin’s. Mälkönen said that he found out about it before Sunday. Pajari also underlined on Monday that the information did not come to Mälkönen until Sunday.
Henri Haapamäki thinks that the social media frenzy was caused by poor communication.
– The change of driver had already been discussed within the team a couple of weeks before the Japanese competition, and this decision was made together with the map reader, says Haapamäki.
Haapamäki doesn’t know the background of the decision, but guesses that Pajari might want an experienced map reader who is familiar with WRC and Rally1 level going games when moving to the main class.
Toyota has a wide lead
Toyota also announced on Monday that the rally legend and previously Toyota brand ambassador Juha Kankkunen rises Jari-Matti Latvala as deputy team manager.
Kankkunen handles the task when Latvala competes in the European History Rally Series at the same time as the World Rally Championship.
According to Haapamäki, Kankkunen’s choice is apt. The Japanese team clearly wants to have a person respected in rally circles as a figurehead. Both Latvala and Kankkunen fit this role perfectly.
– Yes, Kankkunen still enjoys quite a lot of respect in rally circles, and especially when we go abroad and to slightly more exotic places, Juha is well known there.
Haapamäki reminds that the team manager does not have very critical things on his shoulders during the rally.
– Yes, it’s more about being in the foreground and giving interviews. Yes, Juha will certainly succeed when there is a large organization in the background that makes decisions together.
In addition to the pot Elfyn Evans, Takamoto Katsuta and making the return a full-time driver Kalle Rovanperä will drive a full calendar in the World Rally Championship next year. In addition Sebastien Ogier drive the fifth car in some races.
Haapamäki sees the future of the stable, which has dominated brand championships in recent years, as bright. Rovanperä is Toyota’s number one and Evans, who won the Japanese rally at the weekend, is a good second man.
– Sami Pajari is a bit of an unturned card. He is young and hungry and will show very good moves if the races start to go well.
– Of course, Monte Carlo, for example, is immediately a really challenging and quite special rally, but surely when we go to Sweden, Sami will start to get up to speed there.