The Rally Paraguay made its debut in the WRC and lasted right until the end. The “master” Sébastien Ogier triumphed, but he did not escape a scare in the final stage, the Power Stage, when a sudden and heavy downpour fell at precisely the worst possible moment for Ogier, who had dominated “Super Sunday” up to that point. But as rallies only really end at the very end, just ask Adrien Fourmaux, who was disqualified after the race had finished, before the final check, due to transmission problems with his Hyundai i20. In a very tough and demanding race, which took the lead away from Kalle Rovanpera, punctures were one of the main causes of some failures. Ogier resisted everything and even won nine special stages.
Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier now promises to fight for the title in the last four races of the calendar. “We will continue to win and we will win this championship,” said Ogier at the end of the rally, who will thus try to equal the nine world titles of his compatriot Sébastien Loeb. Among the countless incidents and curiosities that arose in the Paraguayan race, Oliver Solberg's fabulous recovery, winner among the WRC2, is also noteworthy, proving once again that he really needs a car in the main category. Toyota once again made the difference, with Ogier and Evans finishing first and second, and world champion Thierry Neuville holding on to third place, just 3.4 seconds ahead of his teammate Ott Tanak, who finished in fourth place, ahead of Kalle Rovanpera, who had been leading the race before an unfortunate puncture.
The 2025 WRC is heating up, with only four races to go and four drivers in contention for the title, separated by just a few points. Elfyn Evans leads with 198 points, followed by Kalle Rovanpera with 191, Sébastien Ogier with 189, and Ott Tanak with 180 points. Champion Thierry Neuville is already far behind with 150 points. Among the manufacturers, Toyota continues to lead (513 points), while Hyundai has 413 and M-Sport Ford 143. The next race continues in South America, with the Rally Chile scheduled for September 11-14.