Rally Paraguay turned upside down in an instant. Hayden Paddon, Hyundai's guest driver, emerged as an unlikely leader after SS3 became a nightmare for his rivals, particularly the Toyota squad. What looked smooth turned into gravel-road drama.
The story began with Oliver Solberg, who led after two stages. On SS3, he overshot a junction and the car stalled. A push-start by spectators failed due to lack of space, and nearly four minutes were lost after a puncture late in the stage. "It's a complete joke. The engine stalled under braking and caused me to overshoot. Spectators didn't have enough room to push-start," he lamented.
Solberg wasn't alone. Adrien Fourmaux from Hyundai also suffered a puncture while pushing for the fastest time. Championship leader Elfyn Evans had a tyre delamination, though his position improved as rivals faltered. "Not ideal, but that's how it goes," he said.
Paddon himself was surprised. "Conditions are very difficult for everyone. It's tough, really tough. The afternoon will be hard because tyre choice isn't easy," he stated. Meanwhile, Josh McErlean from Ford sits second, though he admitted to nearly going off three times. "It's as if they brought out the polishing machine after last year. Being here last year was no advantage," he laughed.
Sami Pajari, who had complained about a power deficit, finished behind Evans but remained calm. "An interesting rally! We're driving carefully because of a water leak. We're at the finish, so that's something. Hopefully the biggest problem is behind us," he said.
Meanwhile, Sebastien Ogier, who broke his front suspension on SS2, tried to start but the field repairs didn't hold, and he stopped on the route. With five stages left on Friday, who can hold on? The rally is far from over, and more surprises could be in store.
Baca Juga
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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