Toyota chases history at the ueno Rally del Paraguay
Toyota is rolling into the ueno Rally del Paraguay with an absolute beast of a machine and a golden opportunity. The Japanese manufacturer can secure a sixth consecutive manufacturers' crown and its 10th in total here, which would draw it level with Lancia's long-standing all-time record. After 10 rounds, Toyota has built a commanding 174-point advantage over Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team and only needs to outscore its rival by six points in Paraguay to put the championship beyond reach. That is stunning dominance.
Strength in depth? Unbelievable. All five GR Yaris Rally1 drivers occupy the top five positions in the drivers’ standings, and Toyota has won nine of the opening 10 rallies of 2026. Still, deputy team principal Juha Kankkunen isn't popping champagne quite yet, saying, “We will have our first opportunity to secure the manufacturers’ title, but we are not expecting that to be easy.”
That caution is entirely justified. Paraguay’s spectacular WRC debut last season proved how quickly fortunes evaporate on its distinctive red-earth roads. Sébastien Ogier won the inaugural edition after recovering from an early tyre deflation, but heavy rain transformed conditions during Sunday’s finale and caused dramatic swings further down the order. The reigning world champion returns after his Secto Rally Finland challenge ended in a heavy accident while leading. Ogier, who has committed to contesting the remaining four rounds, sits fifth in the drivers’ standings, 62 points behind championship leader Elfyn Evans.
Evans holds a 30-point advantage over Sami Pajari, whose breakthrough victory in Estonia was followed by a second consecutive triumph on home ground in Finland. Takamoto Katsuta is another 11 points back in third, with Oliver Solberg five points further behind after consecutive runner-up finishes. Solberg is no stranger to Paraguay either, having won WRC2 there on his first visit last year. Meanwhile, Hyundai heads to Encarnación determined to prevent Toyota from wrapping up the manufacturers’ contest.
Thierry Neuville and Adrien Fourmaux both showed strong pace on Paraguay’s debut, with Neuville claiming third and taking maximum Super Sunday and Wolf Power Stage points. Fourmaux was in podium contention until worsening rain on the final test. They are joined this week by Hayden Paddon, who makes his first top-level WRC start on gravel since Rally Australia in 2018. Seven of the New Zealander’s nine WRC podiums have come on gravel, including his sole victory in Argentina a decade ago. M-Sport Ford fields Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong. McErlean arrives after finishing seventh and as the leading Puma Rally1 in Finland, while Paraguay represents completely new territory for Armstrong.