Ogier turns heartbreak into heroics as Toyota dominates in Paraguay

Sébastien Ogier produced one of the standout performances of his career to hand Toyota Gazoo Racing a one-two finish at the Rally del Paraguay, the World Rally Championship’s newest and most punishing event.

The Frenchman’s rally almost ended before it began. A puncture on Friday’s second stage left him 36 seconds behind the leader – in rally terms, the equivalent of trailing by nearly half a kilometre at 80 km/h. Dropping to eighth overall, Ogier faced an uphill battle on the fast but treacherous red-clay stages.

What followed was a masterclass. Together with co-driver Vincent Landais, Ogier attacked relentlessly, winning nine of the rally’s 19 stages. By Saturday afternoon, he had hauled himself back up to second, and when teammate Kalle Rovanperä suffered a puncture of his own, Ogier seized the lead.

Rain made Sunday’s finale even trickier, but the eight-time world champion showed why he is still the man to beat. At one point, he stretched his advantage to almost 40 seconds — the equivalent of nearly three-quarters of a kilometre at rally speeds. Even when the heavens opened again during the final Power Stage, Ogier had enough of a cushion to cruise home, sealing victory by 26.2 seconds.

Proud performance for Toyota Gazoo Racing

It marked Ogier’s fourth win from just seven rallies this season, the 65th of his glittering career, and his first ever in South America. 

“I think we can be proud of our performance this weekend,” said Ogier. “After the time we lost on Friday, we never gave up, and we kept pushing and enjoyed it a lot.”

He added that the rain proved to be quite a challenge. “On the final day, the rain was changing the conditions very quickly. We were doing a good loop, increasing the lead and trying to take the maximum points. Unfortunately, I got the rain in the Power Stage and we lost a lot of time and quite a few points from that, but luckily we had enough in hand to win and that’s the most important thing. 

Elfyn Evans made it a dream result for Toyota, taking second place after a steady weekend in which he avoided the worst of the carnage that sidelined many rivals. Despite sliding off briefly on Sunday’s slippery opener, Evans regrouped to snatch second on the final stage, his first podium in several rounds. The result also strengthens his championship lead, which now stands at seven points.

Rovanperä salvaged fifth overall after his puncture drama, scoring heavily in the “Super Sunday” points and the Power Stage to keep himself in the title fight. Behind them, Toyota’s young talents also impressed, with Sami Pajari and Oliver Solberg both mounting spirited comebacks in support categories – Solberg storming to WRC2 victory after winning 12 stages in a row.

The one-two finish gives Toyota its ninth win of the 2025 season and the team’s 102nd in WRC history, tying Citroën for the record. With a commanding 100-point cushion in the manufacturers’ standings and four rallies left, Toyota is firmly in control of the championship battle.

And Ogier is pleased with this result, saying, “I’m very happy to finally win in South America, which has never been my luckiest ground – and be on the top step in front of such amazing fans.”