The WRC season is approaching its conclusion, with the 12th round of the season, Rally Chile, getting underway on Friday. Naturally, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2’s Sami Pajari – Marko Salminen will also be competing. After putting together an impressive run of podium finishes in the spring, the pair’s winning streak has grown to three during the summer. At the same time, their position in the championship standings has developed to the point where the Finnish duo are now firmly in the title fight, just 20 points behind championship leaders Elfyn Evans – Scott Martin of Toyota.
Rally Chile will be held for the fifth time this year. The event was first included in the WRC calendar in 2019, and has been run every year since 2023. That is also when Sami Pajari began building up his experience on Chile’s roads. On his first appearance he competed with Rally2 machinery, but this will now be his third outing with a Rally1 car.
“We have been on a really nice run lately and I hope Rally Chile can be good for us as well. It is a rally I know quite well now, as I’ve done it twice already in the Rally1 car, and it’s one of my favourites because of the profile of the stages. Some of them are pretty similar to Finland: really fast and flowing with some really nice camber that helps you take more speed through the corners. It can also be pretty challenging, with high tyre wear and weather conditions that can change very quickly. Like in Paraguay, the fans in Chile are also very passionate, so I’m really looking forward to the rally.”
Rally Chile consists of 16 special stages covering a total of 311.18 competitive kilometres. The route has been significantly revised for 2026, with around 40 per cent of the route being completely new to the WRC. Following Thursday’s shakedown and ceremonial start in Concepción, Friday’s opening leg consists of three stages in the central valley, each run twice on either side of midday service. The route heads south-east from the rally’s host city. All of Friday’s stages are run in the opposite direction to previous years, with some previously unused sections also included. Friday’s stages cover a total of 100.78 kilometres.
Saturday is the longest day of the rally, with 139.2 competitive kilometres on the schedule, made up of two loops of three familiar stages south of Concepción. In previous years, Saturday has brought a wide variety of challenges, including thick dust left behind by the car ahead, rain, fog and the need to conserve tyres in order to preserve grip and performance throughout all the stages.
On Sunday, the rally continues in the same coastal mountain region as Saturday. The new Carampangue stage opens the day, while the familiar Biobío forms the second stage, with both stages run twice. Unlike the other days, there will be no midday service in Concepción on Sunday. Instead, the only regrouping break of the day will be held in Arauco before the Biobío Power Stage. Sunday’s stages cover a total of 71.20 kilometres.