The end of the WRC season is now just around the corner, with the 13th and final round of the season getting underway in Sardinia on Thursday, October 1. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2’s Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen will start the rally second in the championship standings, 17 points behind the leaders Elfyn Evans and Scott Martin, who are also driving for Toyota. Following the previous round, it was announced that instead of the two rallies originally remaining on the calendar, there would now be just one – Sardinia.
Sardinia has become a regular fixture on the WRC calendar in the 2000s, with this year marking the 23rd time the island has hosted a round of the World Rally Championship. From 2004 to 2013, Olbia on the east coast served as the rally headquarters, while Alghero on the west coast took over in 2014. Since then, the rally headquarters has alternated between the two cities. This year, the event returns to Alghero.
The rally features 17 stages covering a total of 307.15 competitive kilometres. Pajari already has experience of the event dating back to his JWRC days, and this year will mark his sixth appearance in Sardinia. This time, however, the rally takes place in autumn, whereas it has traditionally been held in early summer. Warm conditions are still expected, but the intense heat should be absent this time around.
“A lot has happened, and it was certainly a big surprise for many of us that there is now only one rally left. For me, though, I’m thinking about it in the sense that things are what they are. I can’t change the situation myself, so there’s no point thinking about it too much. We still have one rally to drive. Once again, I just need to do my best, as I have done in every rally so far. From my perspective, nothing really changes.
“Sardinia is personally a very enjoyable rally for me. I like the stages, which are quite twisty and mostly narrow, but at the same time very fast. There is always a lot happening on the stages.
“The rally is now being held at a slightly different time of year, but I don’t think it will have a major effect. Most likely, the character of the rally will be very similar to what it has always been. The only difference may be that the temperatures won’t rise as high as they normally do. Normally, temperatures can approach 40 degrees, so the conditions are very much those of summer. This time, we’re probably talking about around 20 degrees, with temperatures reaching close to 30 at most, so it could be a little easier for us inside the car.
“We’re heading there with a good feeling. We just need to do what we are capable of, and that’s it. Of course, it’s great to be involved in the championship fight. Elfyn is ahead at the moment, but everything is still possible. We’ll just focus on our own performance, as we always do.”
The rally gets underway on Thursday afternoon with just one stage, the 2.2-kilometre spectator stage Ittiri Arena Show.
On Friday, the crews will tackle a loop of three stages twice, with the route heading east on the map, in principle taking them more than halfway towards Olbia. Between the two loops, the crews will return to Alghero for midday service. Friday features a total of 119.66 competitive kilometres.
Saturday follows a very similar format, with three stages located close to Friday’s tests, followed by service in Alghero before the same three stages are tackled for a second time. Saturday’s itinerary totals 123.66 competitive kilometres.
Sunday consists of two stages, each run twice. The stages are located in the northwestern corner of the island, reasonably close to the city of Sassari. Both stages are run once before a short regroup in Sassari. The 23.71-kilometre Osilo-Tergu is then run for a second time, followed by a longer regroup with a tyre change in Porto Torres.
The rally – and the WRC season – will conclude with a second run through the short 7.1-kilometre Sassari-Argentiera, which will serve as the Power Stage. The final day’s stages cover a total of 61.62 kilometres.