Sami Pajari claims second consecutive WRC victory
In Finland, the Finns Rule
In a rally steeped in tradition and always full of surprises, Sébastien Ogier experienced one of the biggest scares of his career after a spectacular crash on the penultimate stage of Saturday while leading the event. In the end, it was the home heroes who claimed the biggest prizes. Sami Pajari and Marco Salminen guided the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 to victory, securing their second consecutive win of the season after taking their maiden WRC triumph in Estonia.
Toyota locked out the podium, with Oliver Solberg finishing second and Elfyn Evans third, allowing the Welshman to retain the lead in the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship standings.
The Finnish success was not limited to the top category. In WRC2, Jari-Matti Latvala drove his Toyota Yaris Rally2 to victory, although he was not eligible to score championship points. The Toyota team principal demonstrated he still has the pace to challenge the best, finishing ahead of Estonian Robert Virves, who was classified as the official WRC2 winner. Another Finn, Teemu Suninen looked set for victory before a time penalty dropped him behind by just a few seconds.
The rally was ultimately overshadowed by the heavy crash involving Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia on Stage 17. Both crew members were taken to hospital as a precaution and were fortunately unharmed.
Toyota once again demonstrated the strength of the GR Yaris Rally1, occupying the top five positions in the 2026 WRC drivers' standings. Elfyn Evans leads the championship with 201 points, followed by Sami Pajari on 171, Takamoto Katsuta on 160, Oliver Solberg on 156 and Sébastien Ogier on 139. The first Hyundai drivers appear next, with Adrien Fourmaux sixth on 129 points and Thierry Neuville seventh with 125.
In the manufacturers' championship, Toyota continues to dominate ahead of Hyundai and M-Sport Ford.
The next round of the FIA World Rally Championship takes place in Paraguay, from 27 to 30 August.