Reported
Kankkunen surprised by Rally Paraguay drama
Finnish legend Juha Kankkunen expressed surprise at the extreme challenges faced by WRC drivers in Rally Paraguay, highlighting numerous punctures and incidents.
Rally Paraguay's Demanding Start
Rally Paraguay, the latest round of the World Rally Championship, presented unexpected and significant challenges to competitors on its opening day. Motorsport.com reported that four-time world champion Juha Kankkunen, now serving as Toyota's deputy team principal, expressed considerable surprise at the level of drama unfolding. He indicated that the day's events, characterized by multiple tyre failures and driver incidents, were exceptionally rare and comparable only to the most demanding conditions typically encountered at Safari Rally Kenya.
Drivers had anticipated that the Rally Paraguay would be a true test of endurance, particularly given forecasts of heavy rain for the weekend, which promised to make the clay and gravel stages exceptionally treacherous. However, even with the dry conditions prevailing on Friday, the stages proved to be remarkably unforgiving, with many competitors describing them as a lottery for punctures. Kankkunen noted that he could not recall a day as eventful, stating, “Not quite like this. There were so many punctures and so many cars off, and every stage there was something happening basically.” He added, “Africa is normally like this. So I'm a bit surprised how challenging a day it's been today.”
Driver Challenges and Tyre Issues
Despite Kankkunen's astonishment, several WRC drivers were less surprised by the frequency of tyre failures. Elfyn Evans, currently leading the WRC drivers' championship with 201 points, stated, “Unfortunately not,” when asked if he was surprised, adding, “I don't think it's been this bad.” Evans experienced two delaminations during the day, with the second one occurring on his right-rear tyre in stage seven, costing the Toyota driver his initial rally lead. Despite the damage, he made the strategic decision not to stop and change the wheel, a choice that ultimately proved to be correct.
Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai also faced significant issues, suffering three tyre failures, including a double rear puncture in stage seven. The widespread tyre problems underscore the extreme nature of the Paraguayan stages, with competitors battling not only the terrain but also the limits of their equipment. Esapekka Lappi, another prominent Finnish driver in the WRC, currently holds 25 points in the standings, though his specific performance in Paraguay was not detailed in initial reports. The rally continues to be a test of survival, with four rounds remaining in the 2026 WRC season after Paraguay, where Kalle Rovanperä is another Finnish driver who typically excels.
Broader Implications for WRC
The intense challenges encountered during Rally Paraguay's opening day highlight a growing concern within the World Rally Championship regarding tyre durability and the extreme nature of certain events. The prevalence of punctures, even in dry conditions, suggests that the stage characteristics may be pushing the limits of current tyre technology or indeed the resilience of the vehicles themselves. This situation can significantly influence the championship fight, where Elfyn Evans holds a 30-point lead over Kalle Rovanperä. The Spanish Grand Prix, the next F1 round, is scheduled for September 11, indicating a busy period for motorsport globally.
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:
- Motorsport.commotorsport.com
