Sami Pajari closes on Evans with Paraguay WRC win

Sami Pajari has tightened the fight at the top of the World Rally Championship after extending his winning run in Paraguay. The Toyota driver secured his third consecutive WRC victory, following his successes in Estonia and Finland, while Adrien Fourmaux completed a strong recovery with Hyundai to take third place.

Pajari finished the 22-stage rally in 3 hours, 13 minutes and 28.5 seconds. Hayden Paddon was second, 25.8 seconds behind, while Fourmaux ended 40 seconds off the lead. Elfyn Evans, the championship leader before the rally, placed fourth at 45.1 seconds. The result leaves Evans on 216 points and Pajari on 196, with only 20 points separating them and three rounds remaining.

Fourmaux’s podium came after several punctures damaged his position on Friday. He responded with nine stage wins during the event, the highest total of any driver, and moved ahead of Evans in the final classification. Pajari protected his advantage on Sunday rather than taking unnecessary risks as his rivals contested the remaining podium places.

Sébastien Ogier, unable to challenge for victory after a suspension failure on Friday, still won Sunday’s opening stage and collected two further top-three stage finishes. Oliver Solberg won the three other Sunday stages, while Takamoto Katsuta’s rollover into an electricity pole forced the cancellation of Stage 21. The championship continues in South America with Rally Chile from September 10 to 13.