The World Rally Championship continues this weekend with the eleventh round of the season in Paraguay. The rally, which made its debut at the top level last year, was new to everyone in terms of conditions, and the lessons learned from last year’s event will now be put to good use. Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen head into the rally as winners of the two previous rounds and will therefore be the second car on the road.
This year’s Rally Paraguay features no fewer than 22 special stages, compared to 19 last year. The total competitive distance has also increased, from 333.18 kilometres in 2025 to 357.64 kilometres this time around. The rally is again based in Encarnación, a city of just over 100,000 inhabitants in the southeastern corner of the country on the banks of the Paraná River. The river forms the border with neighbouring Argentina, with the city of Posadas located just over two kilometres away on the opposite bank.
The timetable for Rally Paraguay is particularly kind to European rally fans. Helsinki is seven hours ahead, meaning the stages will take place at prime viewing times in Europe, from the afternoon through to the early evening.
The Finnish crew representing Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 heads into the rally in a new situation, as their two consecutive victories have naturally raised expectations among fans for more podiums and fights for victory. However, the duo has no intention of changing the approach that has worked so well this season. The focus remains on taking things one rally at a time.
“Since Rally Finland it’s been nice to have some time to really enjoy and appreciate what we’ve achieved recently before we refocus on the coming rallies in South America. It was great to go to Paraguay for the first time last year and see the excitement of all the fans there. It’s quite a nice rally to drive with really fast roads and some big jumps, which I always enjoy.
There are also some really twisty sections and if it rains, the surface can become crazy slippery. Our recent results don’t change our approach for this event; we just have to continue trying to do the best job possible and hopefully we can keep achieving good results.”
Last year’s event showed that the roads feature quite a lot of changing grip and bumps, while there were also a number of punctures. On Sunday in particular, rain brought an additional challenge as the reddish, clay-like surface became extremely slippery.
The rally’s shakedown will take place on Thursday morning local time, followed by the ceremonial start in the evening. Friday features eight special stages covering just over 153.78 kilometres. Saturday’s nine stages total 135.74 kilometres, while Sunday’s five stages add another 68.12 kilometres.
Friday’s route is located close to Encarnación, to the east and northeast of the city. The stages are largely the same as those used on last year’s opening day, with only minor changes.
On Saturday, the rally heads further northeast, with two stages from last year’s Sunday programme joined by two completely new tests. The day concludes with a spectator stage in the centre of Encarnación, close to the river.
Sunday heads northwest. The opening stage is new and takes place right on the outskirts of Encarnación, before the crews head further away to the familiar Artigas stage, which featured on Saturday last year and has undergone some minor revisions. The first regroup of the day will take place in the town of Artigas.
After the break, the crews face another new stage, Artigas Oeste, followed by a second run through the already familiar Artigas stage. The final regroup will take place in Encarnación before the crews head out at 14:15 local time for one final all-out push on the Power Stage, which is the same Encarnación stage that opened Sunday’s action.