Sami Pajari seized a historic third straight World Rally Championship victory at Rally Paraguay, narrowing Elfyn Evans’s title lead to 20 points.
Pajari’s Commanding March Through the Argentine Clays
The event, known as the Rally of Paraguay, set itself up as a trial of endurance, with long, abrasive clay and gravel roads combined with soaring temperatures. The Finn capitalised on a clearer set of stages, arriving ahead of Hayden Paddon by 24.1 seconds before the final day and carrying the advantage through to victory.
Despite a water leak in the morning loop of his GR Yaris, Pajari avoided the puncture frenzy that plagued many cars on Friday, which left only a handful of crews able to keep the rhythm of the rally.
Toyota’s Gripping Pace Amid Stages Heats and Tyre Terror
The Toyota plant’s strategy emerged as high points at low cost: a dry Saturday allowed the class‑ready GR Yaris to flourish, catching opponents who had set up for expected heavy rain. Oliver Solberg briefly rose to front‑row pace on Friday morning, but a sudden engine hiccup sent him into a ditch, and a rear puncture later cost the Swede four minutes that day.
Three Toyota‑affiliated drivers, Takamoto Katsuta, Thierry Neuville, and M‑Sport’s Jon Armstrong, retired after short runs on Friday – the former suffered a roll in the opening stage, Neuville broke his rear suspension, and Armstrong’s suspension failed on stage 20.
Hyundai’s Faltering Puncture Storm, Rescue by Other Teams
Hayden Paddon temporarily led early stages until a puncture on stage six passed the lead to Elfyn Evans. Evans, in turn, lost a minute after a delayed tyre delamination on stage seven and handed the break to the Finn. Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux audited a double rear puncture while M‑Sport’s Josh McErlean stopped to change a wheel in the same brutal day.
In spite of tyre misfortune, Paddon and Evans still finished sixth and fourth, respectively, with the championship boss Evans suffering a fifteen‑second deficit simply because of the tyre issues that crept onstage.
Standings, Retires, and Second Chances
Oliver Solberg recovered enough to finish fifth, matching Sébastien Ogier’s time on Saturday after Ogier spun once in the final stage, a half‑spin that saved him a seat in the fourth place fight. Ogier collected five points for the opening stage win on Sunday.
Grip, in a twist of events, saw M‑Sport’s Josh McErlean record a best sixth place under the uneasy conditions of a makeshift gear lever, while local favourite Diego Domínguez claimed the WRC2 cup after Armstrong’s exit, solidifying a warm Aussie home advantage.
The rally’s final day concluded with Katsuta and co‑driver Aaron Johnston suffering a second roll in Stage 21, which was red‑flagged, though both were later checked at a medical facility.
With the title lead trimmed to 20 points, Sami Pajari’s third consecutive win not only cements his place among the ranks of rally greats but also keeps the World Rally Championship battle abruptly close, propelling a season where every gravel stage could swing fortunes instead of mirroring them.
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