The gravel stages in Paraguay provided a stern test right from Friday morning’s opener. The Cambyreta special stage featured a series of crests and compressions that delivered a punishing challenge for the drivers.
Toyota star Rovanperä mastered it best. The Finn set the fastest time to seize the early rally lead.
But even Rovanperä admitted he did not enjoy the ride on the first stage.
“This was a really brutal stage, just as we expected. The speed is constantly very high, and the car takes massive hits. All the jumps and compressions are harsh at that pace, so there are huge impacts on both the car and the body all the time,” Rovanperä explained.
“It was not fun at all,” he stated bluntly.
Rovanperä holds a 3.2-second lead over his team-mate Sébastien Ogier, who, like the Finn, is also fighting for this year’s championship.
“This was a very difficult start to the rally. But we had a clean run and didn’t do anything crazy,” Ogier reported.
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Toyota’s Sami Pajari share third place after the first stage, 4.8 seconds adrift of Rovanperä’s benchmark.
“A really tough stage. I should have driven better, but it is what it is. It felt quite nasty in many of the crests, but we just have to push on,” Pajari commented.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans did not suffer too much from his first road position, but still conceded 7.7 seconds to Rovanperä. He sits fifth overall.
Hyundai’s Ott Tänak was unable to match Rovanperä’s pace, finishing sixth on the stage (+8.4). Like others, the Estonian admitted the brutal ruts took their toll on both the car and the body.
Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta endured an immediate setback with a puncture on the opening stage. The Japanese driver dropped 45 seconds to the leader.
M-Sport Ford’s Grégoire Munster, meanwhile, went off the road right at the start of the stage and lost more than 42 minutes in the bushes. He was eventually able to continue, but dropped hopelessly far behind the other top-class drivers.
Rally Paraguay continues with seven more stages on Friday. The rally concludes on Sunday.
Rally Paraguay standings after SS1/19:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | 9:30.7 |
| 2. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +3.2 |
| 3. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +4.8 |
| 3. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +4.8 |
| 5. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +7.7 |
| 6. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +8.4 |
| 7. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +14.3 |
| 8. | Josh McErlean | Ford | +16.5 |
| 9. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | +28,3 |
| 10. | Nikolai Grjazin | Skoda | +30,8 |
| 18. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +45.8 |
Rally Paraguay itinerary (CET):
Thursday 28 August
14:01 Shakedown: Trinidad (4.92 km)
Friday 29 August
13:03 SS1: Cambyretá 1 (18.70 km)
14:01 SS2: Nueva Alborada 1 (19.25 km)
15:00 SS3: Yerbatera 1 (30.00 km)
16:01 SS4: Autódromo 1 (2.50 km)
17:11 Service (40 min)
18:34 SS5: Cambyretá 2 (18.70 km)
19:32 SS6: Nueva Alborada 2 (19.25 km)
20:31 SS7: Yerbatera 2 (30.00 km)
21:44 SS8: Autódromo 2 (2.50 km)
Saturday 30 August
12:35 SS9: Carmen del Paraná 1 (18.67 km)
13:38 SS10: Artigas 1 (22.73 km)
15:16 SS11: Cantera 1 (13.74 km)
16:35 SS12: Autódromo 3 (2.50 km)
17:35 Service (40 min)
19:05 SS13: Carmen del Paraná 2 (18.67 km)
20:08 SS14: Artigas 2 (22.73 km)
21:46 SS15: Cantera 2 (13.74 km)
Sunday 31 August
13:29 SS16: Bella Vista 1 (21.25 km)
15:05 SS17: Misión Jesuítica Trinidad 1 (18.50 km)
16:02 SS18: Bella Vista 2 (21.25 km)
18:15 SS19: Misión Jesuítica Trinidad 2 (18.50 km) *Power Stage
Article corrected at 14:37: Munster was eventually able to continue the rally and therefore did not retire.
