Emotional Bruun romps to maiden WRC3 victory in Paraguay

Here is the thing about endurance rallying: sometimes, simply keeping the machine on the road is enough to write history. Bruun achieved a stunning milestone on his 17th WRC3 start, driving his Ford Fiesta Rally3 to an emphatic victory in Paraguay that left the 21-year-old Bolivian in tears at the finish line.

That margin of victory is mind-boggling. He brought the car home 15min 02.9sec ahead of Frenchman Eric Royère. To put the brutality of this event into perspective, only three of the seven crews who started actually reached the finish. Royère was the only other competitor in the all-Fiesta Rally3 field to complete the weekend without restarting, while Naveen Pulligilla rounded out the podium after rejoining on Saturday following a Friday mechanical issue.

It is an incredible turnaround for a driver who has been knocking on the door all season. Paraguay not only marked Bruun’s first WRC3 victory, but also his very first podium of the year following three previous fourth-place finishes. That maximum points haul catapulted him straight from 11th up to fourth in the championship standings.

Meanwhile, the title race at the top remains fiercely contested. Reigning champion continues to lead the championship, holding a 26-point advantage over Gil Membrado and Tymek Abramowski, who find themselves tied for second place.