Pajari leads Croatia Rally after demanding Friday as Evans and Solberg retire

Sport news The Toyota GAZOO Racing driver ended the day 13.7sec ahead of Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team’s Thierry Neuville, with team-mate Takamoto Katsuta a further 0.9sec behind in third. However, the margins told only part of the story on a day marked by incidents, punctures and evolving grip levels on roads appearing on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar for the first time. Championship leader Elfyn Evans made a strong start to the rally, winning both SS1 and SS2 to establish an early advantage of 15.8sec over Pajari. Running first on the road, the Welshman was able to take advantage of cleaner conditions as those behind encountered loose gravel and dirt pulled onto the racing line. His rally came to an end on SS3, Beram - Cerovlje, after an off-road excursion at a right-hand corner. Evans and co-driver Scott Martin were unhurt, but the incident brought their day to an early conclusion. “We’ve been caught out basically,” said Evans. “The corner was a bit tighter than expected and we were way too fast and we went off into the trees, unfortunately. It is very disappointing. Obviously, it was a strong start and things were going well, but yeah, it didn’t end so well.” Oliver Solberg’s event also ended early after an incident on the opening stage. The Swede retired after clipping a bank and becoming stranded just a few kilometres into his first dry asphalt appearance in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1. “I had a little bit of understeer and we just tapped the rear with a rock face,” he said. “It is a shame. I live and breathe this every day, it is all I know in life. When it doesn’t go to plan it is tough.” Pajari capitalised well on the changing picture across the day. While not the outright pace-setter in the morning loop, the Finn delivered a composed performance, moved into the lead and then claimed his first stage win of the rally on SS4. He maintained that position through the afternoon despite pressure from both Neuville and Katsuta, securing the first overnight lead of his FIA World Rally Championship career. “The competition is so tough that you need to push,” said Pajari. “I was enjoying the afternoon a lot, the morning was not straightforward. It is only one day done. It has been a pleasure to drive.” Neuville remained in contention throughout despite not being fully satisfied with the balance of his Hyundai i20 N Rally1 during the opening loop. The Belgian closed in with stage wins on SS6 and SS7 and reduced the gap to 6.3sec before the final test of the day, but lost ground again on the second pass through Učka and ended Friday in second place overall. “There is no balance in this kind of condition,” said Neuville after the final stage. “We are in a good position and we had a good day and it is a day we have been looking for, for a long time. It is a small step forward but a big step for us.” Katsuta also delivered a measured performance across the leg. After easing his pace on the opening stage when passing Solberg’s car, the Japanese driver built speed steadily and remained in contention throughout, ending the day 14.6sec from the lead. Hayden Paddon completed the leg in fourth overall on his Croatia Rally debut. The New Zealander was not fully at ease on the slippery and cut-up roads, but avoided major issues to finish the day 1min 15.0sec adrift of Pajari. Adrien Fourmaux recovered to fifth after suffering a front-right puncture on SS2 that cost him more than one minute and affected his chances of challenging at the front. He spent the remainder of the day recovering time. M-Sport Ford World Rally Team driver Josh McErlean was also delayed by a puncture on SS7, which dropped him out of contention for a higher overall position. Team-mate Jon Armstrong showed promising pace early in the day and briefly ran as high as third overall, but lost time with a puncture before retiring on SS4 after running wide and hitting a bank. In WRC2, Yohan Rossel ended Friday as category leader after a competitive day that featured several punctures and position changes among the leading crews. Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally2 driver Nikolay Gryazin completed the day second in class, 22.1sec behind, with Alejandro Cachón in third. Saturday, expected by many crews to be the most demanding leg of the rally, features eight stages and more than 115 competitive kilometres. World Rally Championship Rally Croatia WRC SEASON 2026 Sport Rallies 1SportWorld Rally ChampionshipRalliesWRCSEASON 2026Rally Croatia00 Friday, April 10, 2026 - 8:26pm Friday, April 10, 2026 - 8:26pm