Nataniel Bruun in charge of WRC3 after Friday in Paraguay

Here is the thing about brutal rallies: sometimes the smartest move is simply keeping your nose clean while everyone else self-destructs. Nataniel Bruun did exactly that on Friday at ueno Rally del Paraguay, steering clear of the chaos to snatch a commanding WRC3 lead. The Bolivian pilot put his Ford Fiesta Rally3 to work, claiming three stage wins and building a massive 58.9sec advantage by the end of the leg.

That cushion looks even sweeter when you consider how close it was at the top. Ghjuvanni Rossi could easily be leading the overnight classification right now. Unfortunately for the Frenchman, a late check-in penalty of 1min 10sec for SS4—triggered by roadside repairs made to his Fiesta following SS3—cost him dearly. The setback momentarily dropped the 25-year-old down to third behind Dean Mascarenhas. But Rossi fought back before the day-ending Autódromo test concluded, reclaiming the runner-up spot and carving out a 45.4sec cushion over his Indian rival.

Further down the order, survival was the name of the game. Eric Royère stands as the only other WRC3 competitor to complete Friday's grueling itinerary, finishing the day 3min 37.9sec adrift of third-placed Mascarenhas.

Behind them, the road claimed victim after victim in a relentless display of attrition. Peruvian André Martínez hit a rock on SS2, breaking his subframe and forcing an early retirement. Mercifully, he completed his parc fermé check-in later in the day, leaving the door open for a potential Saturday restart. His countryman, Eduardo Castro, suffered an even harsher fate, retiring on SS1 due to engine damage with no restart planned. Castro has already turned his attention toward preparing his machine for Rally Chile Bio Bío in two weeks’ time.

Naveen Pulligilla also failed to reach the overnight halt. The Indian driver crashed his Fiesta 28.1km into SS3, bringing a premature end to his Friday campaign.