Press release
11MB
october 18, 2021 - FIA Junior WRC
Pajari Youngest Junior WRC Champion in history
Sami Pajari is the youngest ever champion in Junior WRC’s 20-year history at the age of 19 years old and the first ever Finnish driver to win the championship.
Pajari and co-driver #markosalminen won the Junior WRC Championship by winning #rally Spain, the final and double points paying round of the championship. The #rally saw the Finnish crew go head-to-head with their championship rivals and excelling where their competitors faltered.
It marks the Finn’s second career victory in Junior WRC, with his first coming on #rally Estonia this year, which also saw him secure the championship lead. Pajari’s #rally started on the backfoot and it appeared that he would need to mount a serious challenge on Jon Armstrong who was the favourite heading to the Spanish Tarmac.
By the end of Friday Pajari began to charge and was able to stay trouble-free through Saturday to emerge with a clear lead. The Finn was able to maintain his lead with some impressive drives, fending off the competition on Sunday to take home the biggest prize package in rallying: A brand new M-Sport Fiesta Rally2, 200 Pirelli tyres, free registration for WRC2 2022 and five free entries for 2022.
Jon Armstrong was Pajari’s closest championship challenger in Spain and the initial favourite, he appeared on course to live up to expectations, following his performance on Friday. His #rally unravelled on Saturday after going off the road and losing over five minutes to Pajari. The Northern Irishman regrouped and delivered a series of blisteringly quick times to earn valuable Wolf Stage Win Points but his day would draw to a sudden stop as he hit a drain on stage 11. The retirement put his championship hopes in tatters and meant the pressure was off Pajari to maintain his lead. Armstrong would restart on Sunday in fourth, taking two stage wins before finishing and taking the Wolf Stage Win Points award for the most stage wins of the season.
Martins Sesks was in contention for the title heading to Spain but it soon became apparent that the Latvian was struggling for pace on Friday. Saturday saw Sesks pushing hard but his day came to a premature end when a puncture saw him go off the road, damaging his wheel in the process and retiring for the day. Sesks restarted the #rally on Sunday to finish sixth and claim third in the 2021 FIA Junior WRC Championship.
Further information in the press release to download
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