Sami Pajari claimed his third consecutive WRC victory as Hayden Paddon and Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium in Encarnacion.
Pajari completes historic hat trick
Sami Pajari won the 2026 Rally Paraguay, beating Hayden Paddon and Adrien Fourmaux at round 11 of the FIA World Rally Championship. The Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 driver and co-driver Marko Salminen became the first crew to claim their opening three WRC victories consecutively.
It was a landmark result.
Paddon took second for Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT, while teammate Fourmaux secured third after charging through Saturday. Hyundai placed two crews on the podium, but Pajari collected the top prize after making it through an event shaped by tire damage and attrition.
Tire failures reshape the order
Paddon led after Friday morning as the punishing roads forced several crews out. Heavy tire wear then caused punctures and delaminations throughout the field, repeatedly reshuffling the leaderboard.
Pajari coped best with the disruption. He ended Friday 11.9 seconds ahead of Paddon, with Elfyn Evans third at that point. Tire management and avoiding the worst damage became key to Pajari's winning approach.
Saturday gives Pajari breathing room
Pajari stretched his advantage while a storm damaged the service park, bringing another problem to an already punishing weekend. His lead had reached 24.1 seconds by Saturday evening, with five stages remaining.
Fourmaux kept up the pressure behind. The Hyundai driver won five stages during Saturday's running to enter the fight for the final podium spot, then turned that pace into third behind Paddon.
Katsuta crash halts Sunday running
The penultimate stage was canceled following a violent crash for Takamoto Katsuta. Katsuta and co-driver Aaron Johnston were taken to a hospital for checks, and Katsuta later praised the safety of modern WRC machinery after walking away from an impact he described as one of his career's biggest.
Competition resumed, and Pajari finished the job to secure his third consecutive victory. Paddon ended his 2026 WRC program with second place, answering doubts about his ability to return to the championship's podium.
Title gap narrows before Chile
Pajari's victory reduced Evans' championship lead to 20 points, adding further momentum to a title challenge built on three consecutive wins.
The WRC traveled directly from Encarnacion to Rally Chile Bio Bío, where the title permutations would come into focus at the next round.
