- Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen secure their first FIA WRC victory in No. 5 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1
- Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson complete one-two result with second-place finish
- Toyota extends its manufacturers’ championship lead to 156 points
Dubai, UAE – 22 July 2026: TOYOTA Gazoo Racing World Rally Team (TGR-WRT) delivered an outstanding one-two result at Rally Estonia, with Sami Pajari and co-driver Marko Salminen claiming their first FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) victory in the No. 5 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1. Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson completed the result with a strong second-place finish in the No. 99 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1, crossing the line 19.5 seconds behind their teammates.
Akio Toyoda, TGR-WRT Chairman, commented: “Congratulations Sami and Marko on your first WRC victory! I’m really happy that your determination, positive attitude, and willingness to take action have finally been rewarded with a win. Seeing you and Oliver – both the same age – standing together on the top two steps of the podium was also a wonderful sight that gave us a glimpse of the future. It’s always satisfying to see experienced drivers win, but this was a different kind of excitement altogether. And with Sami’s victory this weekend, all five of our drivers have now taken wins this season.”
Toyoda added: “At TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team, we do not make cars with the goal of helping just one driver win. Our philosophy is to make a car that gives every driver on the team an equal opportunity to fight for victory. The success achieved by all of our drivers has proven the value of both our car development and our team-building approach. To everyone in the team, let’s keep pushing forward and continue building even better cars together!”
Rally Estonia presented crews with a compact but demanding format, packing 301.8 competitive kilometres into just over 48 hours. Based around the city of Tartu, the event combined wide and flowing gravel roads with crests and large jumps, as well as narrower technical sections where the soft and sandy surface became increasingly challenging during the second pass of each stage.
Pajari and Salminen established their dominance from the opening day, setting the fastest time across all seven stages to build a 14.7-second advantage. Despite the high-speed nature of the roads, the 24-year-old delivered a calm and composed performance, combining consistent control with exceptional pace throughout the day.
The No. 5 crew continued to lead during the event’s longest day, which featured nine stages and 149.6 competitive kilometres. After extending their advantage through the opening stages, Pajari and Salminen secured three consecutive stage wins during the afternoon to end day two 25 seconds ahead of Solberg and Edmondson.
Rain threatened to alter conditions on the final day, which consisted of two passes through the 24.39-kilometre Kääriku stage. Pajari remained composed throughout both runs, managing his advantage to secure victory by 19.5 seconds and become the latest driver to claim a maiden WRC win on Estonia’s fast gravel roads.
Solberg and Edmondson maintained a consistently strong pace throughout the rally, regularly featuring among the fastest crews while keeping firm control of second place. They concluded the event by topping both the Super Sunday and Power Stage classifications, earning maximum bonus points and completing a memorable one-two finish for Toyota.
The victory moves Pajari into third place in the drivers’ championship standings with 144 points, while Solberg rises to fifth with 130 points. With five rallies remaining in the 2026 season, Toyota has extended its lead in the manufacturers’ championship to 156 points, with a total of 464 points after nine rounds.
Toyota’s motorsports history dates back over 60 years. Reflecting the concept that ‘Roads build people and cars,’ Toyota has competed in a wide range of motorsport disciplines worldwide. Its major successes, achieved under the most extreme conditions, together with the hard-won knowledge and technical insights they have yielded, continue to serve as the foundation for building ‘ever-better’ cars. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing competes in top-level motorsport categories such as the FIA World Rally Championship, as well as in customer motorsport activities using production vehicles.
The next round of the 2026 FIA WRC is Rally Finland, taking place from July 30 to August 2. The fastest rally on the WRC calendar is held on smooth gravel roads featuring numerous jumps and crests and serves as a home event for TGR-WRT, whose headquarters are located close to the service park in Jyväskylä.
Race Notes:
- No. 5 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 (Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen)
- Position: 1st
- Time: 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 16.5 seconds
- No. 99 Toyota GR YARIS Rally1 (Oliver Solberg and Elliott Edmondson)
- Position: 2nd
- Time: 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 36.0 seconds (+ 19.5s)