According to the driver, the gap between Sami Pajar and Enni Mälkönen is fine

Sami Pajari concluded the 2024 rally season with the WRC2 class championship in November.

The wonderful performance was overshadowed by a great uproar when Pajari announced at the end of the season that the cooperation of the long-time map reader Eat in Mälkösen ends with

Mälkönen wrote on social media that he would have liked to continue working with Pajar. The decision came as a surprise and made Mälkönen sad.

Pajari says about the news of the storm now that it surprised him.

“It was really surprising that the matter became so big in the media. There was no fuss behind it at any point, the matter was well known and discussed with Enni.”

Pajari assures that even though the two have not been in contact with each other recently, they are on good terms.

“Now we both have our own things, let’s hope for peace of mind.”

Pajari received the championship award on Wednesday at an event organized by AKK in Helsinki.

“We probably have to think about whether we’re going to live with him on alternate days.”

23 year old Lahtainen’s new map reader is Marko Salminen46. According to Pajar, the cooperation has started promisingly.

“At the end of last year, we already drove in a rally event in Monza. In a way, it was a fire test and a check that everything would work for sure. It went well, and the Monte Carlo tests will continue this week.”

WRC drivers only have a few chances to test the new car before the start of the season. Pajar’s situation is helped by the fact that he was able to drive three World Cup rallies in a Rally1 car already at the end of last season.

“We started this thing with Toyota already last year, and even then I was able to test as much as the rules allowed. I would always like to drive more of it, but I am quite satisfied with what has been achieved so far.”

Pajari is not setting any goals for himself in the Monte Carlo Rally, which kicks off the season on the last weekend of January.

“There are no concrete goals for Monte, you don’t have to do it under duress. The next race in Sweden will probably have more equal conditions, and it will be a pleasant race anyway.”

Pajari also does not miss the world championship in the coming season.

“Very interesting to see Kalle Rovanperän and Sébastien Ogierin work close by. They are multiple world champions, though. I don’t think I would challenge them this year, but I would love to in the future.”