Last weekend Paraguay hosted a WRC event for the first time in its history. The organisers’ efforts were not in vain, as the rally received widespread praise from the championship’s star drivers.
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President Peña and a delegation of organisers had visited Rally Finland a month before their own historic event. The Paraguayans gathered valuable knowledge in Central Finland, where there is decades of experience in staging one of the WRC’s flagship rallies.
“Of course, Finland has a very long tradition. They have been hosting the WRC for over 50 years, and they have an excellent tradition with drivers,” Peña told DirtFish.
During his visit, Peña also toured the estate of rally legend Tommi Mäkinen, located in Puuppola near Jyväskylä. The president was astonished by how many similarities he found between Finland and Paraguay.
“They (Finland) have this very strong agricultural base; 30% of their economy is forestry. Paraguay is expanding on forestry, and it’s amazing. I had a chance to visit the farm of Tommi Mäkinen, and he has cars and he has trucks, and this is very similar to what you have here in Paraguay.”
“Paraguay is a food basket, we are a very large producer of food. So it’s very easy for you to go in the countryside and find tractors everywhere. And those who run a tractor will fix a motor and at the same time they would like to also have a race car.”
Rally Finland and its organisation are widely regarded as among the best in the championship. Paraguay now hopes to follow the same path.
“So I think that what took 75 years for Finland to be at the top of all the events, world events, I think that Paraguay can also be in the same group of countries that are performing very, very high in organising this event.”
Paraguay signed a multi-year deal last year to host a WRC round. The event is guaranteed to remain on the calendar next season.
