Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen completed a remarkable hat-trick of WRC victories on Sunday, taking victory at ueno Rally del Paraguay and creating a unique piece of World Rally Championship history. The Finnish crew became the first to win their opening three WRC events consecutively, adding Paraguay to their recent triumphs in Estonia and Finland.
Pajari entered the final day with a 24.1 second advantage over Hayden Paddon and approached the remaining five stages with one objective: avoid unnecessary risks. His lead briefly fell to 21.5 seconds on the opening Encarnación test, but the Toyota driver responded immediately, extending his advantage over the following two stages.
By the time the crews reached the final Wolf Power Stage, Pajari had the rally firmly under control. He brought the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 safely through the final test to secure a 25.8 second victory and another major milestone in what has become a remarkable breakthrough season.
The result also significantly changed the championship picture. Pajari arrived in Paraguay 30 points behind Elfyn Evans but leaves South America just 20 points adrift with three rounds remaining. The Finn now sits second in the standings on 196 points, while Evans remains at the top with 216.
Hayden Paddon completed a superb weekend in second place alongside John Kennard. Competing in his first top-level WRC gravel rally since 2018, the New Zealander briefly led on Friday before settling into a consistent rhythm behind Pajari. His result marks an impressive return to the front of the WRC with Hyundai.
Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium after producing one of the strongest recoveries of the weekend. The Frenchman was more than 90 seconds off the lead after Friday’s tyre problems but steadily clawed his way back through the classification on Saturday. Starting Sunday just 3.3 seconds behind Evans, Fourmaux moved ahead on the opening stage and maintained his advantage to finish third, 5.1 seconds clear of the championship leader.
Evans therefore had to settle for fourth, although he retains the championship lead. Oliver Solberg finished fifth and added further points by winning the Wolf Power Stage. Sébastien Ogier was second fastest, followed by Adrien Fourmaux, Elfyn Evans and Thierry Neuville.
Josh McErlean brought his M-Sport Ford home in sixth after another eventful day. Among his problems was a broken gear lever, which was temporarily repaired using a 10mm spanner to allow him to continue.
The final day was not without serious drama. The penultimate Artigas stage was stopped and subsequently cancelled following an accident involving Takamoto Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston. Both crew members were taken by helicopter to a local hospital for precautionary examinations.
There was further celebration for the home crowd in WRC2, where Diego Domínguez and Rogelio Peñate secured a memorable victory. The Paraguayan crew finished seventh overall and controlled the category from Friday, eventually beating Gus Greensmith by 22.7 seconds. Alejandro Galanti completed the WRC2 podium in another strong result for the home contingent, while Australia’s Taylor Gill finished fourth.
Pajari’s victory leaves the 2026 championship finely balanced. Evans leads on 216 points, but Pajari has closed the gap to 20, with Solberg another 21 points behind. The WRC now remains in South America for the next round, Rally Chile Bio Bío, which takes place from 10 – 13 September.
WRC standings after Ueno Rally del Paraguay
- 1. Evans – 216 points (12+1+2)
- 2. Pajari – 196 points (25+0)
- 3. Solberg -175 points (10+4+5)
- 4. Katsuta – 160 points (R)
- 5. Fourmaux- 149 points (15+2+3)
- 6. Ogier – 148 points (0+5+4)
- 7. Neuville – 129 points (0+3+1)
- 8. Paddon – 38 points (17)
- 9. McErlean – 29 points (8)
- 10. Lappi – 25 points
WRC2 standings after Ueno Rally del Paraguay
- 1. Virves – 100 points (0)
- 2. Korhonen – 79 points
- 3. Suninen – 76 points
- 4. L. Rossel – 64 points
- 5. Cachón – 61 points (R)
