Paraguay debuts its WRC Rally

Adrien Fourmaux was controlling the Rally of Paraguay with a 4.1-second lead until two punctures cost him 19 seconds on Friday. Kalle Rovanperä took the lead of the first edition of this WRC event, finishing the day with a 7.1-second margin over Fourmaux.

Fourmaux had won two of the first four special stages on the Paraguayan gravel roads. His pace allowed him to reach the midday service ahead of Rovanperä, who had only won the opening stage (Cambyreta 1).

Fourmaux leads until Yerbatera 2 where he loses 18.9 seconds

The problems came on the second pass. Fourmaux's first puncture cost him time, but the second one in SS7 (Yerbatera 2) was decisive. He lost 18.9 seconds on that 30-kilometer test, handing the lead to Rovanperä.

"The first stage was very tricky and we just tried to get through with no drama, but then in the next three stages we tried to push where we felt more comfortable. The grip level is always changing," Fourmaux had explained about his morning.

Fourmaux recovered half a second on the final super special stage at the Autódromo, reducing his deficit to 7.1 seconds. "It happens quite often with the tire, but anyway I am happy with the day. It's a shame we are not leading tonight, but at least there are two long days ahead," he commented.

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Rovanperä inherits the lead without shining on the Paraguayan stages

The two-time world champion moved into first place but admitted his performance had not been as expected. "In terms of position of course it's okay, but I can't say we are really happy with the performance," he acknowledged.

"We should be a bit faster and we haven't been the fastest today. It has been a struggle to be honest. Tomorrow the character of the stages is a bit different, so we need to try to be a bit better."

Rovanperä had lost the lead when Fourmaux set faster times on the second and third stages. His return to the top was due to the Frenchman's punctures, not his own pace.

Tänak wins Nueva Alborada 2 and jumps onto the podium

Ott Tänak took advantage of his teammate's troubles to position himself third, 7.6 seconds from the lead. Tänak had a complicated morning, running as low as sixth place, but improved during the afternoon.

Tänak set the fastest time of the day in SS6 (Nueva Alborada 2), winning that stage by two seconds over Neuville. His time allowed him to climb onto the provisional podium.

Ogier wins Yerbatera 2 in his comeback from eighth place

Sébastien Ogier finished fourth (+17.8s) after fighting back from eighth place, which he occupied due to his puncture in SS2. The champion won the longest stage of the day, Yerbatera 2, by 1.6 seconds over Tänak.

"After the bad fortune this morning, of course we can be happy with the rest of the day and we pushed as much as we could. Being where we are now is still far from the lead, but it looks much better," assessed Ogier.

The eight-time champion lost time when rocks damaged his right rear tire. "Many rocks, in the middle of the road on a straight. That's how it is," he explained about the incident that ruined his morning.

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Evans and Neuville struggle with setup in Paraguay

Elfyn Evans occupied fifth place (+21.1s) despite his frustration at not finding a rhythm. The championship leader was the road opener but admitted the disadvantage of being first on the road had been minimal.

"I've forgotten how to drive," Evans confessed about his struggle with low grip on the gravel.

Thierry Neuville completed the top six (+25.7s) after a costly mistake in the final corner of SS7. The reigning champion had progressed in the afternoon, but a slide while tackling a tight hairpin relegated him from fourth place.

"It's a nightmare, honestly. I'm struggling so much. I'm going straight on in all the braking zones. Right now there is no speed. It's not fun," he had said about his problematic morning.

Pajari falls from the podium due to puncture in Yerbatera 2

Sami Pajari had held third place at midday, but a puncture in SS7 cost him two minutes. The rookie was forced to stop and change the tire, dropping to eighth overall.

Takamoto Katsuta retired on the same stage after hitting a bank while recovering from an initial puncture. Josh McErlean finished seventh as the top representative for M-Sport Ford.

Munster suffers multiple damages to his Ford Puma

Grégoire Munster started badly with an off just 900 meters from the start. The impact broke a steering arm and a brake line on his Ford Puma, requiring repairs by the side of the road that cost him 45 minutes.

The problems continued in the afternoon when his Puma suffered more damage on the second pass. Two heavy landings cracked his windshield and damaged the front and rear of the vehicle. Munster had to complete three stages without a rear wing.

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Overall classification after SS8

Saturday features seven additional special stages on loose gravel roads for the continuation of the first Rally of Paraguay on the world calendar.