Could the WRC’s new challenge spring a surprise result?

The South American nation is making its debut on the WRC calendar and is set to serve up 19 brand new gravel stages and conditions unlike any other event.

Under the current regulations testing outside of Europe for the WRC’s flyaway rounds before the rally is restricted for the Rally1 teams. It means that drivers will have no knowledge of the roads and conditions heading into this round. It will all depend on who makes the best pacenotes and can adapt to the conditions the quickest. There will also be an onus on the teams and engineers to find a set up to maximise the pace of their cars on the unknown red gravel roads. 

The prospect of such a levelling of the playing field opens up opportunities for drivers and teams from outside of the title battle to strike.

"Paraguay represents an exciting new chapter for the championship and a true leveller for the teams,” said M-Sport-Ford team principal Richard Millener.

"With no historical data, it comes down to how quickly crews can adapt, learn, and commit to the stages. Both [our drivers] Grégoire [Munster] and Josh [McErlean] have shown strong progression this season, and this rally offers a fantastic opportunity for them to take another step forward.”

Toyota rising star Sami Pajari is among those eagerly anticipating the opportunity to start an event from scratch alongside his rivals. The Finn heads to Paraguay after showing promising speed to finish fifth in Finland earlier this month. Pajari, competing in his first full season in the topflight, is yet to score a WRC podium, with his best result today being runs to fourth in Finland (2024) and Kenya (2025). 

“Our feeling is good after the pace we had in Finland, and that gives us a good base to work from for the next two rallies – even though they will be a bit different in character,” said Pajari.

“Paraguay will be completely new for everyone, and I like it when we have new stages or a completely new event: it feels a bit more equal when everyone starts from the same position.

“We don’t know so much about what the stages there will be like. From what I’ve heard and seen, it could be that the conditions are quite nice and not too rough, but we’ll find out more once we’re there.”

M-Sport-Ford duo Gregoire Munster and Josh McErlean are equally hoping to take advantage of clean slate for the WRC field. Munster has finished in the top five once this season, while McErlean’s maiden Rally1 campaign has been headlined by seventh-place finishes in Monte Carlo and Finland.     

“I’m really looking forward to going to Paraguay. It’s a brand-new event for everyone, which is always an exciting challenge,” said Munster.

“From the stage footage we’ve seen, the surface looks quite slippery in places - almost like Kenya - but it’s faster and more straightforward overall. In the mountain sections there are also some steep inclines, which will add to the challenge.

“It looks like a great new addition to the championship because it’s so different from what we already have on the calendar. I can’t wait to discover the country and enjoy tackling these new stages.”

McErlean added: “Paraguay is a completely new event for all of us, so we’re heading in with a clean slate. That can be a positive because it means everyone starts from the same place. From what we’ve seen, the surface looks mostly clay with some fast sections and long straights, and in parts it even has a bit of a Safari feel. It’ll also be my first time competing in South America, which is really exciting.”

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