WRC2 champions Sami Pajari and Enni Mälkönen will end their partnership after the 2024 season.
Pajari has been co-driven by Mälkönen full-time since 2022 – the season after he claimed his Junior WRC title. In that time, the two Finns have progressed through the WRC ranks, winning four WRC2 events together, the 2024 title and starting three events in a Toyota Rally1 car.
But Rally Japan will mark the end of their professional relationship – at least for now.
Pajari told DirtFish: “For the moment this was the last rally for me together with Enni. I must say I’m super, super thankful and grateful for her, with all the hard work she’s been doing over the last three years, and I guess we achieved really, really nice things now.
“But yeah, I think it’s just something normal that happens in working life, that people come and go, and now our paths are pointing in different directions.
Pajari and Mälkönen rose from the Junior WRC to the Rally1 class and became WRC2 champions
“Never say never that we won’t drive together, but I mean, what would be the better place to split than after we achieved the main goal what was set for the season, win the championship and here again on the podium.
“So we will celebrate together.”
Pajari promised an announcement on his new co-driver will come soon.
“The last three years have been really proper, really nice, many nice results,” he added.
“People come and go and now it’s time for something else.”
Additional reporting by Colin Clark.
