Toyota driver Sami Pajari leads the Croatia Rally overnight for the first time after Friday's opening day, holding a 13.7-second advantage over Hyundai driver Thierry Neuville.
Pajari inherited the lead when championship leader Elfyn Evans ran off the road and retired in stage three, while Monte Carlo winner Oliver Solberg and M-Sport Ford's Jon Armstrong also retired on the opening loop. Evans had won the first two stages before his exit.
Pajari balanced speed and caution through eight tricky asphalt tests, extending a margin over Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta in third while Neuville closed at times with back-to-back stage wins. Pajari posted the fastest time in the final stage of the loop to restore his lead heading into Saturday.
Pajari said he felt comfortable reading the extra gravel on the second pass and noted there was still a long way to go, while Katsuta described his day as clean after team instructions to preserve the car. Toyota lost two factory cars in the morning but retained the lead with Pajari.
This report is based on information originally published by Motorsport.
Read the full article at Motorsport.
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