Tänak's Plans Shattered by Puncture in Paraguay Rally

WRC, Sportrik Media - Ott Tänak of Hyundai Motorsport has likely lost his chance to win Rally del Paraguay 2025 following a puncture during Saturday morning's loop. The incident dropped him to sixth place, shifting his focus from victory contention to battling for fourth against Elfyn Evans of Toyota and teammate Thierry Neuville.

Puncture Incident Derails Strong Start

Tänak began the second day of the gravel rally strongly, claiming second place on the morning's opening stage. However, disaster struck on the following special stage when a tire failed midway through. Opting to continue without a change, he lost over 30 seconds, finishing more than half a minute behind the fastest time and slipping to sixth overall, nearly 50 seconds adrift of leader Kalle Rovanperä.

Recounting the mishap, Tänak said, “We had a puncture on one unfortunate stage, and we had to cover quite a long distance with it. We lost a lot of time there.” He added, “After that, we didn't have a spare tire anymore, so we just wanted to get to the service.” This setback completely upended Tänak's strategy, which had previously involved a tight fight with Rovanperä for the lead.

ifth Positions

Currently, Tänak trails Evans in fourth by 8.3 seconds and Neuville in fifth by 3.7 seconds. His attention now turns to securing a podium spot, with three more stages remaining on Saturday afternoon. “I hope we can compete with Elfyn and Thierry. We'll at least try to pressure them and stay close, as tomorrow is still a long day,” Tänak stated. “Let's see how the afternoon goes. Hopefully, we can find more speed,” he continued.

Sportrik's analysis indicates that Paraguay's abrasive and fast stages make tire management essential. With fresh tires available at service, Tänak has a realistic opportunity to challenge Evans and Neuville, drawing on his gravel rally expertise. However, avoiding further errors will be key to climbing higher before the final day.

Outlook for Saturday and Sunday

With three stages left on Saturday, Tänak aims to maximize pace to close the gap to the front. Rally del Paraguay, the WRC's inaugural event in South America, promises more drama, especially for experienced drivers like Tänak. Success could return him to podium contention, though victory now seems distant. Sportrik anticipates that Hyundai's strategy will emphasize car reliability to prevent similar incidents in the afternoon stages.

Follow WRC developments at Sportrik for in-depth analysis of Rally del Paraguay 2025.