Sami Pajari holds the lead going into the final day of the WRC Rally del Paraguay, avoiding problems that struck his rivals, amid a surprise early leader.
The Finn was able to keep his Toyota free of tyre issues that caused a number of issues to his rivals across the running on Friday to lead from Hayden Paddon, with title-leader Elfyn Evans and Adrien Fourmaux running in third and fourth places respectively.
Pajari started the afternoon loop on Friday in fourth place, with the lead held by Paddon. The Kiwi was making his first top-level gravel rally appearance in almost a decade, and stunned by ending the first midday service over 20 seconds clear, the first time he had topped a WRC rally since Portugal, 2018.
But Pajari ended the day 11.9s ahead of Paddon, who suffered with a front-right delamination, with championship leader Evans a further 44.4s back in third.
Paddon then suffered a front-right delamination, handing a slender 0.5s lead to title leader Elfyn Evans, but on the 33.88km Yerbatera stage, the Welshman also suffered from a similar affliction, and an increasingly shredded right-rear tyre left him ending the stage with the rim of the wheel left.
This left Pajari, who, by contrast, completed the stage without fuss, ended the day 11.9s in the lead.
Afterwards, Pajari said: “It was very clean for me. I think it is lottery if you take the puncture or not.”
Paddon still holding on despite double puncture
Paddon, incredulously, suffered a second tyre issue, also on Yabatera, leaving him nearly 21 seconds behind Pajari in the lead. But regardless, it was still a remarkable showing.
“Everyone’s had problems, so if we can drive out of two stages on punctures and still be within touching distance, we’ve been unlucky but lucky at the same time,” he said, believing that Saturday may be a day to show he is still able to challenge.
Fourmaux Fastest but Furthest Back
Adrien Fourmaux may have had the strongest underlying pace, having won half of the eight stages on Friday. But he too suffered from tyre woe, needing to change both deflating rears, one of which cost him a minute-and-a-half. This left him down in fourth.
“You know me, I will not give up. I will push to the end and see where we can be,” he said.
Josh McErlean rounded out the top five for M-Sport Ford. He had been second but he was also halted by a tyre problem on Yabatera.
Takamoto Katsuta and Thierry Neuville were both out shortly soon after the next stage began, and were joined by reigning champion Sébastien Ogier, owing to a suspension problem that he tried to drive through.
Solberg dropped down the order to eighth after stalling his engine, which required a spectator to help him push-start. He was also halted by yet another puncture.
Saturday – Pajari ignores wing damage to sail ahead
Pajari doubled his lead over nine stages on Saturday, aided by the weather staying dry, contradicting all weather forecasts leading up to the action. This did cause issues for the majority of teams, with wet-biased setups being configurated for the cars, which played havoc with the reality of what came.
Pajari steadily built-up his lead through the morning, despite sliding into ditch on the Hohenau pass, ripping the upperplane off his GR Yaris Rally1’s rear wing. Regardless, he was 22.8s ahead at the service. The Finn, with the car now repaired, continued with the same momentum.
“For me this is a different challenge than Estonia and Finland,” he said. “It is more about surviving.” Despite his lead, he warned that there was much to accomplish before he could think of victory: “Many things can go wrong still tomorrow,” he admitted. “It’s good for the moment… but still it’s too early to say anything more.”
Fourmaux claws back with mighty performance
Despite Pajari’s sterling driving, it was perhaps Fourmaux who impressed most.
He began the day almost a minute behind third-placed Evans, but won at Bella Vista Sur and Hoheanau, and then won a further three stages in succession, cutting the deficit down to just 13.1s.
Evans ended the day ahead, but after being beaten by Fourmaux at the Costanera super special, he was just 3.3s ahead of the Frenchman going into the final day, who said he was “happy with the pace,” adding: “I just need to find the balance for the tyre wear.”
“Adrien, to be fair, has been in a different rally to everyone else,” Evans acknowledged. “He is risking everything, but let’s see tomorrow.”
Paddon ended the day over half-a-minute ahead of the Fourmaux-Evans battle, continuing to impress, but appeared to emphasise caution over outright speed, with a wish to look after his tyres after Friday’s troubles.
Solberg worked his way back up the order to fifth place, after McErlean brushed an advertising board, the pair now separated by just six seconds.
Diego Dominguez, the home favourite, was seventh, leading WRC2, despite completing part of the morning’s running without his glasses. Unbelievably, Dominguez had left them on the roof of his car, requiring his wife to source a replacement pair from a nearby optician.
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