After a convincing performance, Toyota driver Sami Pajari celebrates his first WRC victory at the 2026 Rally Estonia—Elfyn Evans extends his championship lead
Toyota driver Sami Pajari secured his first victory in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at the Rally Estonia. The Finn prevailed in a dominant performance against his teammate Oliver Solberg, who earned the maximum number of points on Sunday. Adrien Fourmaux (Hyundai) finished third.
Just like Solberg a year earlier, Pajari, alongside co-driver Marko Salminen, celebrated his first WRC victory on the fast gravel stages in Estonia after leading the event from the start. The Finn entered Sunday with a solid lead and did not let Solberg put him under pressure, even though the Swede pushed hard until the very end.
Pajari had set the pace right from the start on Friday and won twelve of the 18 special stages (SS). Gradually, the Finn extended his lead to such an extent that his rivals could no longer threaten him.
All five Toyota drivers have now secured victories in the 2026 WRC season
For 24-year-old Pajari, this is his first WRC victory in his debut season with Toyota. He was the only one of the brand’s five drivers who had not yet won this year. This success rewards a strong first half of the season: After his retirement in Monaco, he finished seven of the following eight rallies in the top four and stood on the podium six times.
Despite his best efforts, Solberg had to settle for second place. However, with the ten points he earned on Sunday, he now has a total of 27 points—just one fewer than Pajari, who earned only three points on Sunday and none in the Power Stage.
HISTORY MADE! WRC | DelfiRallyEstonia pic.twitter.com/K5RohGCnLC
— FIA World Rally Championship (@OfficialWRC) July 19, 2026
Fourmaux rounded out the podium. The Frenchman had been locked in a battle with Solberg at the start of the rally, but fell behind on Saturday and came under pressure from his teammate Thierry Neuville, who had closed the gap to just two seconds. With a strong performance in the first stage on Sunday, Fourmaux regained some breathing room. Neuville ultimately finished in fourth place.
A Difficult Rally for Ogier, Evans, and Katsuta
After his victory at the Acropolis Rally, Sébastien Ogier (Toyota) never found his rhythm this weekend, although his driving feel improved on Saturday. The nine-time world champion had to settle for fifth place.
The opening stages proved even more difficult for Elfyn Evans (Toyota). As the World Championship leader, he had to open the course and quickly lost touch with the leaders. After finishing ninth on Friday evening, he fought his way up to sixth place on Saturday and held that position until the finish.
Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota), the runner-up in the World Championship, suffered a major setback. After a flat tire, he was forced to retire from the rally early. Although he returned to action on Saturday, he no longer had a chance in the overall standings. The Japanese driver managed to salvage just one point in the Power Stage on Sunday.
Next up is Rally Finland
Seventh place went to Martins Sesks. The M-Sport Ford driver had lost a wheel during the shakedown. Due to the subsequent repairs, he checked in at the start of the rally two minutes late, which earned him a 20-second time penalty. Ultimately, however, this had no impact on his final result. He finished ahead of Esapekka Lappi (Hyundai) and Jon Armstrong (M-Sport Ford).
The last remaining World Championship point went to local hero Robert Virves (Škoda), who also won the WRC2 classification.
After nine of 14 rounds, Evans leads the drivers’ standings with 177 points and now has a 25-point lead over Katsuta (152). Thanks to his victory in Estonia, Pajari moved up to third place in the World Championship (144).
