For the crews, ueno Rally del Paraguay represents the ultimate level playing field – unknown roads around the city of Encarnación where local knowledge counts for nothing and adaptability is everything.
The timing couldn’t be more dramatic. Just three points separate championship leader Elfyn Evans from Toyota team-mate Kalle Rovanperä after nine intense rounds. Evans reclaimed the lead following his runner-up finish at last month’s Secto Rally Finland, where Rovanperä claimed a dominant home victory.
“After Rally Finland we’re back in the lead of the drivers’ championship, but the pack is incredibly close, so we can expect a big fight until the end of the season,” said Evans. “It’s always a big challenge to prepare for a new rally, and especially when it’s outside of Europe and we’re not able to test there beforehand.”
Rovanperä arrives with renewed confidence after his breakthrough Finland triumph, achieved by winning 15 of 18 stages at record-breaking average speeds.
“The result in Finland was amazing for us and for the team, and the points we got were really valuable for the championship,” said Rovanperä. “Paraguay will be a new rally for everyone and we don’t really know what to expect, so it’s not an easy one to prepare for, but hopefully it can suit us well.”
Toyota Gazoo Racing has dominated 2025 with eight wins from nine rallies. Their five-strong GR Yaris Rally1 line-up includes Evans, Rovanperä, eight-time champion Sébastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta and Sami Pajari. Ogier sits third in the standings, just 13 points behind Evans.
Hyundai Motorsport fields defending champion Thierry Neuville, 2019 title winner Ott Tänak – also 13 points off the lead – and Adrien Fourmaux in i20 N Rally1s, while M-Sport Ford completes the manufacturer line-up with Puma Rally1s for Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean.
ueno Rally del Paraguay begins on Thursday and comprises 19 special stages totalling 333.18 kilometres before Sunday afternoon’s finish.