The fastest driver on the stage was Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux, who also leads the overall rally. However, Toyota’s Kalle Rovanperä, in second place, is only 4.1 seconds behind the Frenchman after four special stages.
“I’m really pleased with the morning loop. I just don’t like the opening stage of the day at all. The other special stages are better. Everything has gone well. Let’s see what happens in the afternoon. It could be even slipperier than in the morning, and there will surely be plenty of loose stones as well, Fourmaux said.
“We’ve learnt that this rally can sometimes be both tough and rough. On the really fast sections there are a lot of big ruts and jumps. The pace notes really need to be spot on, because every junction is different and the grip is constantly changing,” Rovanperä reflected.
In third place overall is Toyota’s other Finnish driver, Sami Pajari, who is 18 seconds adrift of the lead. Pajari is locked in a close battle with Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville, who trails the Finn by just 0.4 seconds.
“It has gone quite well. I’m disappointed with the time on the previous stage. I made a small mistake there, so it could have been better. Still, we’re in the fight, which is a good thing,” Pajari commented.
In fifth place in the rally is the World Championship leader Elfyn Evans, with Hyundai’s Ott Tänak only 1.1 seconds behind him.
“I don’t know how big an impact road sweeping has had. The morning has been challenging, and the feeling hasn’t been the best possible. Hopefully, we’ll find something for the afternoon,” Evans said.
Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier suffered a puncture on Friday morning and dropped to just over half a minute behind the leader. Ogier is in seventh place. Behind him, in eighth, is M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean, ahead of Toyota’s Takamoto Katsuta.
“The speed is good, but that 40-second gap is hard to make up. The afternoon will surely be difficult for everyone. There have been a lot of punctures. There will definitely be plenty of action, but hopefully we’ll stay out of trouble,” Ogier summed up.
At Rally Paraguay, four more special stages will be run on Friday after the service break. The rally finishes on Sunday.
Rally Paraguay standings after SS4/19:
| POS. | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Adrien Fourmaux | Hyundai | 38:09.9 |
| 2. | Kalle Rovanperä | Toyota | +4.1 |
| 3. | Sami Pajari | Toyota | +18.0 |
| 3. | Thierry Neuville | Hyundai | +18.4 |
| 5. | Elfyn Evans | Toyota | +19.3 |
| 6. | Ott Tänak | Hyundai | +20.4 |
| 7. | Sebastien Ogier | Toyota | +34.4 |
| 8. | Josh McErlean | Ford | +42.5 |
| 9. | Takamoto Katsuta | Toyota | +1:09.4 |
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
