)
World Rally Championship (WRC) drivers are bracing for a lottery at Rally Paraguay, with forecasts of heavy rain threatening to create what some are calling a "second Safari Rally" of the season.
Paraguay surprised many crews on its WRC debut last year with its distinctive red clay surface, which proved difficult to master. This year, the rally is the longest of the season, covering a total distance of 358.88 km and featuring five new stages.
In dry conditions, the road surface becomes increasingly polished with each passing car, making it extremely slippery. This effect is amplified significantly in wet weather. Tyre preservation will also be crucial, as exposed bedrock lines parts of the route.
However, the hot topic in the service park ahead of the event is the weather. Friday is expected to remain dry, but heavy downpours are forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
"Someone mentioned it could be almost like a second Safari Rally. If it rains, it could be extremely difficult. It seems tomorrow might still be easier in the dry, which is also quite demanding here with many jumps and compressions. We can also expect a lot of punctures. It won't be easy, especially if the rain arrives," said Toyota's Sami Pajari, who won the last two rallies in Estonia and Finland.
According to Oliver Solberg, the amount of rain expected could be immense.
"It doesn't look like just a light shower. It looks like Niagara Falls. So I think when that comes, it will be much worse than Africa," said Solberg. "We have this red clay surface, and it's constantly changing. Even on the shakedown, it's quite hard to judge where it's slippery. So I think when the rain comes, if it comes, it will be difficult everywhere. I like it. The harder it is, the better. More things can happen, and more things you can turn to your advantage," the Swede added.
Ready to fight for victory after his heavy crash in Rally Finland, reigning world champion Sébastien Ogier knows what it takes to tame Paraguay, having won the event's inaugural WRC edition last year. However, the Frenchman was disappointed to miss out on a full 35 points after being caught in a late downpour. This year, he believes the rally will be an even bigger lottery for the crews.
"From my point of view, at least, this weekend will be a lottery. Tomorrow will be a lottery with the punctures, and then it will be very complicated with the conditions, so you never know. It's extremely challenging here. This clay road offers practically no grip. So I think it will be very interesting. That's the word we always use in these conditions when you don't know how to describe them, but it will be treacherous," Ogier explained.
In some respects, drivers believe it could be worse than the Safari Rally in Kenya, as the stages have fewer open safety areas to recover from an off-road excursion.
"We had similar conditions here last year, maybe not as extreme as what we might face now," said championship leader Elfyn Evans, who holds a 30-point lead over his Toyota teammate Pajari. "The thing is, there's actually a lot more to hit here than in Kenya. I know it sounds a bit strange to say there's nothing to hit in Kenya, but there are far fewer of those open grassy areas here and more proper roads lined with trees, banks, rocks, and everything else. So it's going to be tough. The stages are completely dry at the moment. In some places, you can already see the risk of the surface breaking up and causing punctures is quite high. How they will evolve with the predicted amount of rain will be almost impossible to judge. I think we just have to try and do our best on the day," the Welsh driver added.
Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux impressed at this event last year, leading on Friday before suffering a puncture. The Frenchman was then caught out by the rain, with his i20 N ingesting water. Fourmaux believes he has the speed to fight for his first WRC win but thinks the rally's outcome might not be decided until the final Power Stage on Sunday.
"I'm happy to be here. I know it's difficult. I think last year we held the lead for a long time, then lost it to a puncture but kept second place, and then the last stage happened. But before that, there were a few things with the engine ingesting water; a lot of things happened here, and I think they will happen again. But we've learned our lesson from last year. There are a lot of new stages. The rain is coming. It will be slippery. So I would say anything is possible until the last kilometre of the Power Stage," commented Fourmaux.
The M-Sport team is prepared for the worst, having brought snorkels that can be fitted to the Ford Puma Rally1 cars should flooded sections become an issue. However, the impending bad weather could provide a chance for the British team to capitalise on the treacherous conditions.
"The roads are so compact in the dry. So when there's water, you get aquaplaning on top. It feels like ice. I think we can achieve a good result, but we know everything has to go to plan, and so far, that hasn't been happening," said Jon Armstrong, who will be making his debut in Paraguay. "The only thing I can compare it to is the rally stage at Goodwood, which also has these shiny sections that get more polished by passing cars. Except here, it seems you don't need as many cars for it to start polishing up," he added.
"I think this is probably the slipperiest gravel you'll ever come across. And with the amount of rain expected on Sunday, maybe a boat would be a better option. We'll see," commented Armstrong's teammate, Joshua McErlean.
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)