Pajari leads at Croatia Rally following Friday attrition

Sami Pajari secured the overnight lead at the Croatia Rally after a tumultuous opening day on the event's asphalt debut. Navigating changing surface conditions and loose gravel, the Finn ended Friday 13.7 seconds ahead of Thierry Neuville, with Takamoto Katsuta holding third position.

The day was defined by significant incidents among the frontrunners. Championship leader Elfyn Evans initially dominated the morning stages but was forced to retire on SS3 after sliding into the trees. Similarly, Oliver Solberg’s rally ended prematurely on the opening stage when his car became beached following a collision with a bank.

Thierry Neuville mounted a strong recovery in the afternoon, claiming consecutive stage wins to pressure the leaders, while Katsuta maintained a consistent pace to remain in contention. Hayden Paddon concluded the day in fourth place, managing to avoid the mechanical issues and punctures that sidelined several other competitors, including Adrien Fourmaux and Josh McErlean.

In the WRC2 category, Yohan Rossel established a clear advantage over his teammate Nikolay Gryazin. The field now looks ahead to Saturday, which features eight stages and is expected to provide the most significant test of the rally.