2025.09.16 Hyundai Motorsport Team
[2025 WRC Round 10] Hyundai’s Neuville Grabs Paraguay Podium After Late Charge
Paraguay joined the WRC calendar for the first time in 2025—and immediately made an impression. Harsh terrain and unpredictable rain tested every crew. But last year’s champion Thierry Neuville fought back with a thrilling Sunday charge to finish third, giving Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT a much-needed morale boost. Fourmaux and Tänak also fought hard to finish fourth and fifth respectively.
Following the high-speed gravel duels in Estonia and Finland, the WRC field crossed the globe to start the South American leg in Paraguay. Alongside Rally Islas Canarias and Saudi Arabia, Paraguay is one of three new events joined to the 2025 WRC calendar. The stages, set around the Paraná River, aren’t quite as fast as Estonia or Finland but are significantly quicker than the rougher gravel rallies in Greece or Italy.
The layout may appear straightforward with long straights, but technical traps are concealed throughout. Narrow widths in high-speed sections demand full focus. Even with few corners, the sheer speed and frequency of jumps mean there's no room for error.
The biggest wildcard: surface conditions. Paraguay’s signature red dirt has a soft, slippery top layer but hard-packed subsurface. Once that top layer is broken up, grip levels shift dramatically. The dense dust clouds also favor early runners with clearer visibility.
With most top drivers facing a completely new rally, predictions were impossible. Aside from a few local names like Fabrizio Zaldivar, nearly every driver entered Paraguay blind—with no past experience, no relevant data, and no chance for pre-event testing. On this rally, adaptability was everything.
Crucially, Paraguay marked a turning point in the title fight. After nine rounds, just 13 points separated Evans, Rovanperä, Ogier, and Tänak at the top of the table.
After tire troubles in Finland, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT needed to turn things around in South America. Historically, Hyundai had strong form on South American gravel—with three wins in Argentina—so expectations were cautiously optimistic. The team again fielded Ott Tänak, Thierry Neuville, and Adrien Fourmaux. Neuville, the most seasoned of the trio in South America, shared his mindset before the start:
“South America has always been a great place for the WRC to visit, and we all hope to see lots of fans on the stages in Paraguay. We don’t have any testing for the event, so we have been studying the footage shared by the event organisers and speaking to locals to get a feel of the stages. We can really start to refine the car setup after the recce when we know a bit more about the grip levels and our pacenotes. It’s a huge unknown for all of us, but a new challenge is exciting for us and the championship. We need to optimise the weekend to ensure we get some strong points.”
Tänak entered Paraguay having briefly taken the championship lead in Estonia, only to fall back to fourth after a tough result in Finland. He’s proven strong in South America before, with wins in Argentina and Chile—making this rally a crucial opportunity to rebound. Fourmaux had little South American experience, but since Paraguay was a brand-new event, that relative inexperience didn’t count for much.
Toyota entered five Rally1 cars: points leader Elfyn Evans, second-placed Kalle Rovanperä, Sébastien Ogier, Takamoto Katsuta, and Sami Pajari from the affiliate team. As usual, Evans, Rovanperä, and Ogier were nominated for manufacturer points. M-Sport Ford brought Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean, with McErlean making his first South American WRC start.
Thursday's shakedown run changed drivers’ impressions of Rally Paraguay entirely. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Drivers pushed hard in the recce to gather as much info as possible. At first, they mostly found the course simple. But after the 4.92km shakedown stage on Thursday, the tone changed. Many drivers reported grip levels changing constantly and unpredictably—even mid-corner.
DAY 1 Morning – Fourmaux Takes the Early Lead in a Tight Battle
Rally Paraguay featured 19 stages totaling 334.52km, with a total rally distance of 951.59km. The action kicked off at 8:00 AM on Friday, August 29. Crews tackled SS1 Cambyreta, SS2 Nuevo Alborada, the rally’s longest stage SS3 Yerbateras (30km), and wrapped the loop with the SSS4 Autodromo. The same loop repeated in the afternoon, covering 140.9km in total.
Cambyreta (SS1, SS5), while appearing straightforward on paper, was a complex mix of long straights, tight 90-degree corners, steep climbs and descents, eight jumps, two bridges, and even stream crossings. Maximum concentration was non-negotiable.
Paraguay's high speeds and massive landings shocked even the codrivers, who struggled to hold onto their pacenotes. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Rovanperä set the pace on SS1, with Ogier and Pajari close behind, giving Toyota a strong start. Fourmaux matched Pajari’s time, followed by Evans, Tänak, and Neuville. Katsuta—fastest in Thursday’s shakedown—suffered a tire puncture and fell 45 seconds back. Drivers were stunned by the speed and impacts after jumps. M-Sport Ford’s Munster got stuck in bushes just after starting and lost over 42 minutes.
SS2 Nueva Alborada featured flowing, technical corners. Fourmaux topped the timesheets and closed the gap to Rovanperä. Tänak slotted in second fastest, entering the battle for the lead. Ogier dropped to eighth after a puncture cost him around 30 seconds.
SS3 Yerbateras—the rally’s longest at 30km—began with fast sections but grew progressively tighter, with small jumps and steep climbs testing both power and tire grip. The jump zone midway attracted large spectator crowds.
Hyundai’s charge was led by Fourmaux and Tänak in Friday morning’s stages. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Ogier set the fastest time on SS3, chased by Fourmaux and Neuville. Fourmaux took the overall lead. Post-stage, Fourmaux said: “Feeling good. In one corner I was wide. Grip is changing so much.” Meanwhile, Neuville—just 0.04s ahead of Evans in P4—admitted: “We are trying to survive, I don't have a grip. Stages are challenging.”
The morning and afternoon loop concluded with SSS4 Autodromo, a crowd favorite near Capitán Miranda. Though just 2.5km long, its tight corners, straights, and forested lanes made it complex and highly watchable.
Fourmaux claimed his second stage win of the day here, retaining the overall lead. He commented: “I’m really satisfied with the morning. I just didn’t like the first stage of the day but the rest is fine and nice. For sure, the grip is changing all of the time. I think some really hard surfaces will be polished [in the afternoon] so it can be even more slippery, and some places there could be some ruts and there could be a lot more loose rocks.”
DAY 1 Afternoon – Trouble Begins with a Puncture
Tänak maintained strong pace throughout Friday. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
The afternoon saw a repeat of the morning stages. In SS5 Cambyretá, Ogier and Katsuta—both of whom had struggled in the morning—came back with a 1-2 finish, while Fourmaux held onto the overall lead. Drivers reported fatigue from the heavy jumps and hard landings.
In SS6 Nueva Alborada, Tänak clocked the fastest time, followed by Neuville, as the Hyundai duo overtook Pajari to move into third and fourth overall. Dropping to fifth, Pajari came under pressure from teammates Evans and Ogier. Fourmaux extended his gap over second-place Rovanperä to 5.5 seconds.
Fourmaux suffered a tire puncture just 3 km before the finish of SS7. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
SS7 brought a major shake-up at the front. Fourmaux lost time with a tire puncture and handed the overall lead to Rovanperä. The puncture came after a collision just 3 km from the finish, but the time loss was limited, and Fourmaux dropped only to second. Ogier, who set the fastest time on SS7, closed the gap to the leader to 19.1 seconds. Neuville lost 10 seconds after going off at a junction, while Katsuta retired after veering off the road. Pajari lost nearly two minutes during a tire change.
In SSS8, Ogier once again set the fastest time as Rovanperä closed out Friday in the lead. The gap to second-place Fourmaux was 7.1 seconds, and Tänak was right behind, just 0.5 seconds back. Ogier had now cut the gap to the leader to 17.8 seconds and climbed to fourth overall. Evans in fifth and Neuville in sixth were still within reach. In WRC2, Yohan Rossel led the pack, followed by Nikolay Gryazin and home driver Diego Dominguez.
DAY 2 – Hyundai’s Uphill Battle Continues on Technical Terrain
Saturday, August 30 began with the high-speed Carmen del Paraná stage, followed by Artigas and Cantera, ending with a return to Friday’s Autodromo. In the afternoon, the same three gravel stages were run again, excluding the Autodromo. The day’s total distance spanned 112.78 km. The opening SS9 Carmen del Paraná consisted mostly of fast, flowing sections, followed by narrow, twisty roads requiring high technical skill.
Championship leader Rovanperä took the first stage win of the day and widened the gap over his rivals. Tänak came in second, moving up to second overall and pushing Fourmaux down to third. However, Tänak continued to battle windshield wiper issues, which proved problematic in Paraguay’s dusty and water-splashed roads.
SS10 Artigas—the longest stage of the day—began with wide, high-speed sections that transitioned into a series of tight farm roads, filled with back-to-back corners. The final sector through the village was even more winding, making it difficult to carry speed. Maintaining a smooth rhythm was absolutely critical on this stage.
In the morning, Tänak dropped positions after suffering a tire puncture. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
At the front, Ogier led the charge, followed by Rovanperä and Evans. Tänak suffered a puncture and fell to sixth overall. “Unfortunately nothing I could recognize. Smoothest stage of the rally so quite a big surprise. Big shame, the punctures are deciding the championship. Not so nice.” Meanwhile, Fourmaux reclaimed second place overall, with Ogier just behind him.
SS11 Cantera was the most unique stage of the rally. While it offered great viewing for fans, it challenged drivers with constant rhythm changes and required careful line selection. Rovanperä set the fastest time in Cantera, pulling the gap to second-place Fourmaux out to 17.4 seconds. But only 1.4 seconds separated Ogier and Fourmaux for second. Evans was 40 seconds behind in fourth. In SSS12, held at the Autodromo, Ogier closed the gap to Fourmaux by another 0.5 seconds.
The afternoon began with a second run through Carmen del Paraná for SS13. Ogier made it three stage wins in a row and overtook Fourmaux for second overall. Most drivers reported struggling with grip, and SS14 turned into a nightmare for rally leader Rovanperä. A tire puncture mid-stage cost him significant time, dropping him all the way to sixth overall.
Rovanperä closed out Saturday with a stage win in Cantera, but it had little effect on the overall order. Ogier ended the day in the lead, with Fourmaux now 10.3 seconds back in second. Evans in third, Tänak in fourth, and Neuville in fifth were all within about 10 seconds of each other, setting up a fierce podium fight for Sunday. In WRC2, Robert Virves maintained a slim lead over Oliver Solberg and Rossel.
DAY 3 – Neuville Launches Final Push for the Podium
Heavy Sunday rain turned Paraguay’s dirt roads into a muddy mess, creating chaos for many drivers. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Sunday, August 31 featured 79.5 km of competition across four stages: Bella Vista (21.25 km) and two passes each through Misión Jesuítica Trinidad, run in the morning and afternoon.
Rain arrived just in time for the final day. Paraguay’s signature red dirt becomes pure mud in wet conditions. Ogier set the fastest time on the opening stage, stretching his lead, while several drivers—including Fourmaux, Katsuta, Munster, and McErlean—struggled for grip on the soaked and slippery roads.
Neuville began his final-day charge toward the podium. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
Tänak reflected on the tough conditions: “I felt quite slow to be honest, so unpredictable. So difficult to get the junctions right, it's randomly changing. Definitely a cautious approach.” Fourmaux held onto second overall, with Tänak moving into third. Neuville gave it everything in pursuit of Super Sunday bonus points. In WRC2, Solberg overtook Virves for the class lead.
Neuville set the fastest time in SS19’s Power Stage, securing a strong bonus-point finish. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
SS17, Misión Jesuítica Trinidad, also served as the Power Stage for SS19. It began on a two-lane road, led into gravel ranchland, and wrapped up with a series of jumps and technical corners—a stage that showcased every trait of the Paraguay rally. Neuville set the top time in SS17, positioning himself well for Super Sunday points. Fourmaux reclaimed second overall by beating Tänak by 11.8 seconds, with just 1.8 seconds separating Tänak and Evans.
Rovanperä topped SS18, another run through Bella Vista, to claim additional Super Sunday points. Evans passed Fourmaux for third, trailing him by only 3.3 seconds. Tänak lost ground after his engine stalled while crossing a water section, followed by tire damage that dropped him to fifth overall.
Heavy rain slowed Fourmaux’s pace, and he had to settle for fourth overall. Video: WRC (https://www.wrc.com)
The final stage, SS19—also the Power Stage—was hit with another downpour mid-run. Neuville set the top time again, with Rovanperä, Tänak, Evans, and Katsuta collecting bonus points. Tänak’s championship hopes took a hit as a damper failure late in the stage robbed him of more points. Fourmaux, caught out by the worst of the rain, slipped to fourth.
Despite the weather, Ogier became the first-ever WRC winner in Paraguay. Evans finished second, and Neuville claimed the final podium spot in third. The drivers’ championship remains wide open. Evans still leads, but Rovanperä and Ogier are now within 10 points. Tänak, with 180 points, trails Evans by 18.
The fight for the 2025 WRC title is far from over. Meanwhile, Toyota pulled ahead of Hyundai by 100 points in the manufacturers’ standings. The second South American round takes the WRC to Chile, from September 11–14. After its 2019 debut and pandemic-era cancellations, Chile returns for its fourth time on the WRC calendar.
Written by: Soo-jin Lee
In 1991, Lee’s passion for cars led him to enthusiastically write letters to the newly launched Korean car magazine Car Vision. This unexpected connection led him to start his career as an automotive journalist. He has served as editor and editorial board member for Car Vision and Car Life, and now works as an automotive critic. While eagerly covering the latest trends like electric vehicles, connected cars, and autonomous driving technology, he is also a car enthusiast who secretly hopes that the smell of gasoline engines will never disappear.
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