Paraguay's morning turned into a brutal battleground. Several favorites were dealt heavy blows, including three big names who were immediately knocked out of contention: Sebastien Ogier and Takamoto Katsuta from Toyota, and Thierry Neuville from Hyundai. Not only that, Oliver Solberg also faced major issues, while almost everyone struggled with punctures on the slippery, sharp corners.
Out of that chaos, an unexpected name emerged. Hayden Paddon, Hyundai's part-time driver, stayed calm and avoided the biggest troubles. The New Zealander now leads the rally with a 23.9-second advantage over another surprise package, M-Sport Ford's Josh McErlean. The rally is still long, but this morning has already shown how demanding Rally Paraguay truly is.
Behind them, WRC leader Elfyn Evans sits third, 26.7 seconds off the pace. The Welshman also suffered a puncture on the previous stage but managed to limit the damage. Meanwhile, Adrien Fourmaux from Hyundai set the fastest time on the Autodromo stage and climbed to fifth, albeit more than a minute and a half behind.
Sami Pajari from Toyota is fourth, about half a minute from the lead. The young Finn also had a puncture on the morning loop but remains within striking distance. Home favorite Diego Dominguez is sixth and leads the WRC2 class. Behind him are Rally1 drivers Fourmaux and Jon Armstrong, both hampered by punctures.
Four more special stages await this afternoon. With conditions so demanding, anyone could fall from the top. Paddon and McErlean may not be favorites, but they have proven that in Paraguay, composure and a bit of luck can be key. Stay tuned for more drama until Sunday.
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Hayden Paddon memimpin Reli Paraguay setelah Oliver Solberg kehilangan waktu akibat masalah mesin. Drama ban dan insiden mewarnai SS3.
Sebastien Ogier terkena masalah lagi di SS2 Rally Paraguay, kehilangan waktu lebih dari lima menit. Persaingan posisi kedua memanas antara Paddon dan Fourmaux.
Oliver Solberg memimpin Reli Paraguay, Neuville mundur, Ogier kehilangan waktu. Drama WRC2 juga terjadi. Simak detailnya di Sportrik.
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