Elfyn Evans got his first taste of Paraguay's gravel roads last year when the event made its WRC debut. On paper, the stages did not appear particularly difficult, but the reality proved very different.
"Our first time competing in Paraguay last year proved a lot more challenging than everyone had anticipated. On paper the stages looked quite straightforward with many long straights and junctions," Evans said.
Paraguay's clay-based road surface presented the biggest challenge. The polished clay caused significant variations in grip and made driving extremely difficult.
"However, the polished clay surface and constantly changing grip conditions made the rally much more difficult."
Conditions became even more extreme on the final day last year. Rain soaked the roads on Sunday morning, after which Evans said finding grip was almost impossible.
"Then, when it rained on the final morning, there was almost no grip available at all."
Evans once again faces a difficult task in Paraguay, as his position at the top of the World Rally Championship means he will be first on the road for Friday's stages. In dry conditions, that is usually a clear disadvantage, with the first driver on the road having to sweep loose gravel from the racing line for those behind.
Rain could therefore provide welcome assistance for Evans, but on roads like those in Paraguay, it also brings its own risk.
"In our position running first on the road on these gravel rallies, some rain can help to level the playing field, but it can also turn quickly into a lottery when the grip is so low," Evans noted.
Evans therefore cannot formulate a precise plan until the true conditions become clear once the rally gets under way. The championship leader's approach to Paraguay is simple.
"Like always, we'll just have to do our best in whatever conditions we face when the rally begins."
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