The mood was electric as the very first Rally Paraguay was officially launched with the ceremonial start.
Teams and drivers took turns presenting themselves on the starting ramp, greeted by the applause of a huge crowd – clear proof that Paraguay has embraced rallying.
Drivers were also granted special permission to perform doughnuts and entertain the spectators as they drove away from the stage. Several drivers delighted fans with spins and tyre smoke to rapturous cheers.
But the show nearly ended in disaster when M-Sport Ford driver Grégoire Munster staged his own display. For reasons unknown, a person was standing inside the safety barrier and came dangerously close to being struck by Munster’s Ford Puma.
As the Luxembourger spun his car, the rear of the Ford slid close to the individual by the fence, forcing him to jump.
This time the situation ended with only a fright, but in the worst case the rally could have started in truly dreadful fashion.
Watch the video of the incident below (at 0:45):
If the embed above is not visible, you can watch the video here.
Rally Paraguay gets properly underway on Friday, with eight special stages on the schedule. The rally concludes on Sunday.
The title fight could not be tighter heading into the gravel event: just 13 points cover the top four in the championship standings. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans leads the way, ahead of team-mates Kalle Rovanperä and Sébastien Ogier, with Hyundai’s Ott Tänak close behind.
