While the first two days of the WRC newcomer had been contested on dry gravel, Sunday morning’s damp opening stage put the stars of the championship to a stern test.
Several drivers slid off on the rain-soaked roads. Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta, Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux and Ford duo Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean all ran wide and had to gather themselves from the roadside, but were able to continue.
Rally leader Sébastien Ogier got off to the perfect start to Super Sunday, setting the fastest time by 0.2 seconds over Hyundai’s Ott Tänak. Ogier’s advantage over second-placed Fourmaux thus stretched to almost half a minute.
“We were afraid of these conditions and now we got them. I was a bit too careful in places, but that’s the better approach, I believe,” Ogier explained.
Tänak, who was second quickest, overtook Toyota’s Elfyn Evans in the overall standings and climbed to third place. He also closed significantly on his Hyundai team-mate Fourmaux, who made a driving error on the stage. With only ten seconds separating the pair, Tänak now has the chance to go on the attack.
“I felt quite slow, it’s so unpredictable. It’s very difficult to get the junctions right, because the conditions change so randomly,” Tänak commented.
Thierry Neuville was third fastest on the opening stage of Super Sunday, ahead of Kalle Rovanperä, who sits sixth overall. The Finn lost the lead of the rally on Saturday after a puncture and is now hoping for a strong final day to secure crucial Super Sunday points.
“The showers have been so local on the stage that you can have one kilometre of dry section and then only one or two corners are wet. So a lot of surprises. I was very careful, I could have been much faster. But you need some sense,” Rovanperä emphasised.
Rally Paraguay continues on Sunday with three more special stages.
Rally Paraguay standings after SS16/19:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 2:29:10.2 |
| 2. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | +29.2 |
| 3. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +39.3 |
| 4. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +41.5 |
| 5. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +48.2 |
| 6. | Kalle Rovanperä | Hyundai | +2:22.9 |
| 7. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +3:32.9 |
| 8. | Oliver Solberg | Toyota | +6:01.5 |
| 9. | Robert Virves | Skoda | +6:04.3 |
| 10. | Yohan Rossel | Citroen | +6:05.6 |
Super Sunday standings:
| POS | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | 11:49.7 |
| 2. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +0.2 |
| 3. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +1.4 |
| 4. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +1.7 |
| 5. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +4.9 |
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
