Finnish driver Sami Pajari of Toyota caused a major surprise by winning the Rally Estonia on Sunday, while championship leader British driver Elfyn Evans (Toyota) strengthened his lead at the expense of Frenchman Sébastien Ogier.

Following the surprise victory of Swede Oliver Solberg in the 2025 edition, the rally saw an unexpected champion; Pajari, the 2024 WRC2 champion, secured his first victory in the top category of the World Rally Championship.

The Finnish driver won 12 of the 18 special stages, including the first nine, before managing his lead steadily to finish the rally with a 19-second advantage over Solberg.

With this win, the 24-year-old Pajari rose to third in the overall standings, establishing himself as a serious contender for the title.

The achievement capped a standout season for the fifth driver in the Toyota team order, having previously stood on the podium five times in the first eight rounds, with one runner-up finish and four third places.

Pajari said after celebrating his win on the roof of his Yaris: "It's an amazing feeling. I still can't believe what happened. I'm very grateful to Toyota and everyone who supported me, even in tough times. I knew this victory was close, and now it's here. It's incredible."

Despite having to open the road on Friday, Evans finished the rally in sixth place and extended his championship lead, benefiting from the retirement of Japanese driver Takamoto Katsuta, increasing the gap to 25 points.

The Welshman said: "Things went well today even though some sections were difficult. The week was complex because opening the road on the first day made it hard to make up positions later, but that's part of the game."

For his part, Ogier limited his losses in a rally he had not contested for years, but lost additional ground to Evans, who now leads him by 38 points in the overall standings.

The Frenchman said: "I lacked a bit of experience here after five years away. It wasn't a bad week. We did what we could. We enjoyed it a lot, but we could have performed better. At least we leave with some points."

Ogier (42), if he wants to keep alive his dream of a tenth world title, will need to deliver a better result in two weeks at Rally Finland, which features fast stages similar to Rally Estonia.

In a battle away from the title fight, Frenchman Adrien Fourmaux outperformed his Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville of Belgium to take third place, securing his 11th career podium in the World Rally Championship.