16 stages around Talcahuano in the Biobío region produced a rally win for Oliver Solberg, a 10th manufacturers' title for Toyota, and a puncture for championship leader Elfyn Evans that turned a two horse title race into three.

Two rallies ago Pajari was a reliable points scorer rather than a title threat. Estonia changed that, Finland confirmed it, and Paraguay made it official. He and co-driver Marko Salminen beat Hayden Paddon and John Kennard by 25.8 seconds to become the first crew in WRC history to win their first three events back to back, and Pajari was quick to credit the car rather than his own pace for it, pointing out that his Toyota was the only one in the top group that avoided a tyre

The Voly Grampian Forest Rally has always been one of the standout forest rallies in Scotland, but the 2026 event carried considerably more significance than usual.

Sami Pajari won the 2026 Secto Rally Finland on home soil, backing up his maiden World Rally Championship victory in Estonia two weeks earlier with a second straight win in front of his own fans.