Overview

• Sebastien Ogier sealed the inaugural Rally Paraguay by 26.2 seconds as Elfyn Evans finished second and Thierry Neuville took third after late rain upended the final stage and dropped Adrien Fourmaux to fourth.
• The debut event’s brutal gravel triggered widespread punctures that constantly reshaped the order, with Kalle Rovanperä losing 2m38s on Artigas and ending sixth as Evans remained the only Rally1 driver largely free of major tyre trouble.
• Ogier’s comeback hinged on multiple stage wins and a lighter five-tyre load that helped him climb from eighth to first over Saturday and hold firm on a wet final loop.
• Hyundai’s Ott Tänak saw a podium bid unravel with a puncture and a water-splash engine scare, while M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean and Grégoire Munster both retired after heavy impacts.
• Oliver Solberg rebounded from an early puncture to win WRC2, and Toyota’s success drew the marque level with Citroën on 102 World Rally Championship victories.