The World Rally Championship continues this coming weekend with the season’s tenth round, an all-new fixture on the calendar in Paraguay. It is one of three fresh additions to this year’s tour: asphalt in the Canary Islands back in the spring, now Paraguay’s richly red gravel roads, before the curtain finally falls with a fourteenth and decisive encounter in the heat of Saudi Arabia. Sami Pajari, alongside co-driver Marko Salminen, will guide his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 onto unfamiliar Paraguayan stages brimming with anticipation.
The South American event comprises 19 special stages, stretching across 333.18 competitive kilometres. While the continent often conjures visions of steamy rainforests or the mighty Andes, Paraguay offers something altogether different. Despite being landlocked, the rally runs predominantly at low altitudes, rarely exceeding 200 metres above sea level.
The rally’s hub is Encarnación, a bustling city of just over 100,000 inhabitants nestled in the south-east of the country, on the banks of the Paraná River. The river itself forms the border with Argentina, whose city of Posadas lies just a few kilometres across the water.
For European fans, the timing could scarcely be more convenient. With Helsinki six hours ahead, the stages fall neatly into European afternoons and early evenings, ensuring prime viewing hours for enthusiasts at home.
The Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 crew approach the challenge buoyed by their strong showing on home soil in Finland, confidence drawn both from their own performance and that of the team.
“It’s always exciting to come to a new place to compete,” said Pajari after two days of reconnaissance. “Some sections are very fast, but there are also narrower, more technical parts. So it’s not flat out everywhere. The conditions are definitely a bit different to what we’re used to.
“The roads look clay-like, so if it rains they could be very slippery. But from the recce, the surface seemed consistent and in good condition. Overall, it just feels good to be ‘back in the office’ and rallying again.”
The event begins with Thursday morning’s shakedown before an evening ceremonial start. Friday will be the sternest test, eight stages totalling more than 140 kilometres to the east and south-east of Encarnación. Saturday shifts north-west for seven tests and just under 113 kilometres, before Sunday closes proceedings with four stages – almost 80 kilometres – to the north-east, including a regroup in Hohenau and a final podium celebration in Trinidad.