Multiple stage crashes and a record‑sized wave of punctures turned Rally Paraguay into a nightmare for tyre durability, with several leading cars abandoned or instantly shunted to the service park.
Tyre Troubles Rock Rally Paraguay
Early Friday’s dry conditions slipped into a treacherous cocktail of loose gravel and hard‑packed clay, spiking the likelihood of delamination and tyre failure—an outcome teams expected only in the legendary Safari Rally in Kenya.
World Champion Juha Kankkunen, the Toyota deputy team principal, was surprised at the sheer number of incidents, stating, “Not quite like this. There were so many punctures and so many cars off, and every stage there was something happening basically.”
Drivers React
South African driver Oliver Solberg acknowledged the unpredictability, remarking, “Africa is normally like this. So I’m a bit surprised how challenging a day it’s been today.”
Championship leader Elfyn Evans, though shocked, admitted the tyre failures were not an anomaly, saying, “Unfortunately not. I don’t think it’s been this bad.”
Evans’s Decision
Evans suffered two delaminations during the day, the second striking his right‑rear tyre in stage 7. Facing the choice of repairing or continuing, he stayed on, a decision later mirrored by co‑driver Scott Martin, who prevailed despite Evans’s initial hesitation.
Evans later explained the call: “It was a tough call… I thought we made the wrong call numerous times during that 20 km. But he’s optimistic, and it was the right call actually in the end. I have to apologise for doubting him.”
Fourmaux’s Experience
Hyundai i20 N Rally1 driver Adrien Fourmaux endured three failures, including a double rear puncture in stage 7. He expressed disappointment over “weak tyres and three delaminations,” summarising the situation as “like playing casino.”
M‑Sport Analysis
M‑Sport‑Ford chief Richard Millener identified the intensity of the itinerary and the relentless nature of the stages as key drivers of the tyre crisis. He noted, “It’s a bit different to what we used to on a lot of rallies, but that is good.”
Millener added that the high temperatures, humidity, and staged length leave little margin for error, demanding “proper debrief and calm handling” after each run.
Hankook’s Insights
Hankook’s Steven Cho explained the spike in wear, linking it to the softer compound’s abrasive affinity to the compacted clay and exposed bedrock. He observed, “Today’s loops were really long. With hotter temperatures and harder‑bearing roads, the tyre ended up in aggressive conditions higher than expected.”
Cho refined that the team is not surprised by the forgiving soft tyres; instead, the pressing issue is muscle‑wear resulting in delamination.
Speculation remains whether the hard‑compound upgrade rolled out for the Acropolis Rally will succeed on the Paraguayan terroir. Meanwhile, the Pura days ahead promise relatively less jumpy stages but will still pose a significant challenge for both equipment and drivers.
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