Evans Maintains Pajari as WRC Title Threat Despite Finland Points Lead

Elfyn EvansPlayer·Elfyn Evans, the current leader in the World Rally ChampionshipCompetition·World Rally Championship (WRC), has affirmed that he never discounted Sami PajariPlayer·Sami Pajari as a title challenger for the 2025/26 season. This statement comes despite Evans increasing his championship advantage over the Finnish driver to 30 points after the recent Rally FinlandCompetition·Rally Finland.

Evans departed Jyväskylä with an unexpected third-place finish at Rally FinlandCompetition·Rally Finland, a result he described as a fortunate escape. His Toyota suffered a rollover on Saturday morning, requiring assistance from spectators to return the car to the track. Extensive repairs by Toyota mechanics allowed the Welshman to continue and ultimately secure a podium position, along with maximum bonus points from the Power Stage.

"I was happy to come away with anything after what happened. I consider myself lucky, no doubt," Evans stated. "You don't get away with many situations like that. From a driving perspective, things were going really well and continued to go well afterwards. But part of the game is not making mistakes. Obviously, we made one and were lucky to get away with it. In Finland, of all places, you would never expect to lose a minute and 30 seconds and still finish on the podium. It's crazy."

Pajari, at 24 years old, has emerged as Evans's closest rival, securing his second consecutive victory at Rally FinlandCompetition·Rally Finland, following his breakthrough win in Estonia. This triumph also marked the 200th WRC victory for a Finnish driver. His recent form includes third-place finishes at Rally SwedenCompetition·Rally Sweden and Rally JapanCompetition·Rally Japan earlier in the 2026 season.

Evans views Pajari's recent surge as a natural progression rather than a sudden breakthrough. "I think he's doing really well. He received some unfair criticism towards the end of last year and the beginning of this one, especially after Monte Carlo," Evans explained. "It's not easy to enter the top class, and everyone develops at a different pace. In many ways, the expectation now is that everyone can do what Kalle (Rovanperä) did. Some people just take longer to reach a consistent level of performance, and Sami is really showing it now. I never wrote him off as a championship contender, so nothing has changed from my side."

With four rounds remaining in the championship, and a maximum of 35 points available in each, the title race is far from decided. Evans currently holds 201 points to Pajari's 171. The upcoming rallies, including events in Paraguay and Chile, are expected to be significantly influenced by track conditions. Evans cautioned that rain in these regions could transform rallies into a lottery due to low and variable grip, with fog often accompanying wet weather in Chile.