Reported
Kankkunen reflects on challenging Rally Paraguay
Four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen commented on the unexpected severity of Friday's action at Rally Paraguay.
WRC Tyre Failures in Paraguay
Four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen expressed surprise regarding the challenging conditions during Friday’s action at Rally Paraguay, an event that saw multiple tyre failures and incidents for many competitors. This specific observation was reported by Autosport, detailing Kankkunen’s inability to recall such an eventful day in his extensive career in the sport, underlining the extreme nature of the conditions encountered.
Indeed, Friday's stages, despite being initially considered the least demanding of the event given the dry weather, proved exceptionally problematic for the World Rally Championship crews. Drivers described the stages as a "lottery for punctures," which contributed to the high number of incidents observed. Elfyn Evans, currently leading the WRC standings with 201 points, personally experienced two delaminations; the second occurring on his right-rear tyre during stage seven, ultimately costing the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT driver his lead. Despite the damage, Evans made the critical decision not to stop and change the wheel, a choice he later acknowledged was correct due to his co-driver Scott Martin’s persuasion.
Driver Perspectives on Tyre Durability
Kankkunen, serving as Toyota's deputy team principal, noted the constant stream of incidents, stating, "Not quite like this. There were so many punctures and so many cars off, and every stage there was something happening basically." He further drew a comparison to the Safari Rally Kenya, which is notorious for its harsh terrain, but remarked that the conditions in Paraguay were unexpectedly severe for a dry day. Oliver Solberg echoed this sentiment, admitting his surprise at the level of challenge, stating, "Africa is normally like this. So I'm a bit surprised how challenging a day it's been today.”
Conversely, several WRC drivers were less surprised by the frequency of tyre failures. Elfyn Evans, when asked if he was surprised, responded, “Unfortunately not. I don't think it's been this bad.” Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai World Rally Team also encountered significant issues, enduring three tyre failures himself, including a double rear puncture during stage seven. Fourmaux articulated his frustration, stating, “I'm very happy with my driving and the pace I had in the stages. It's really a shame we have weak tyres and three delaminations.” He clarified that while punctures due to hitting a rock or excessive wear are understandable, the unexpected delaminations were particularly disappointing, suggesting a potential issue with the durability of the tyres under these specific conditions.
Implications for the Championship
The ongoing Rally Paraguay, with four rounds remaining in the 2026 WRC season, is proving to be a pivotal event. This rally, forecast to include heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday, may render the clay and gravel stages even more treacherous. This environmental factor suggests that the challenges seen on Friday could escalate, further impacting the championship standings. Current standings show Kalle Rovanperä’s compatriot Esapekka Lappi with 25 points. However, the top of the leader board remains closely contested by Elfyn Evans with 201 points, followed by Sami Pajari with 171 points and Takamoto Katsuta on 160 points, making every competitive stage crucial for the Finnish contingent and their competitors as the season progresses.
Status And Sources
This story is labelled Reported, which means a newsroom we cite carries this but the people involved have not confirmed it. The rules behind those labels are in the editorial policy, and the desk that published it is Aino Virtanen.
Written from the following reporting. Each link goes to the newsroom's own page, not to an aggregator:
- Autosportautosport.com
