A “hat-trick” for Sami Pajari and a historic victory for Diego Domínguez Bejarano at the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
Consistent driving without any major pressure on Sunday was enough for Finland’s Sami Pajari to secure his third consecutive victory in the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship season, following wins in Estonia and Finland, whilst Diego Domínguez Bejarano dazzled his home crowd with a historic first victory in both WRC2 and WRC2 Challenger. Toyota repeated last year’s feat by emerging as the winning make in the main categories.
Sami Pajari holds on and remains in the lead at the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
The Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT driver, at the wheel of his GR Yaris Rally1 with Marko Salminen in the co-driver’s seat, finished Saturday’s action at the end of super special stage 17 still leading the eleventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship. In the Rally2 cars’ classes, Diego Domínguez Bejarano continues to shine on home soil in front of his home crowd.
The new WRC promoter owners are formally unveiled at the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
At a press conference attended by the President of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the new roadmap for WRC Promoter GmbH – recently acquired by a French investment group – was officially presented to the accredited journalists present.
Sami Pajari finishes top of the standings after a gruelling friday of the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
Leaving all the pre-event build-up and practice sessions behind, we reached the start of the world’s best rally on red gravel that ended up taking its toll on several drivers on the very first loop compared to last year. Sami Pajari proved the most effective, weathering the first eight special stages on Friday at the wheel of his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1.
More than 10,000 people were thrilled by the ceremonial start of the WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
The eleventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship kicked off to the roar of engines and the excitement of motor sport enthusiasts. The Encarnación Sambódromo brought together more than 10,000 people, whilst thousands more watched from the waterfront and the Fan Zone, cheering as the drivers passed by and enjoying the impressive ‘donut’ display.
Shakedown at the WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay 2026: Katsuta repeats his 2025 performance and sets the pace ahead of the competition
The wait is over, and with the official test runs in Carmen del Paraná, the action kicked off for the eleventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship. On a 5.6-kilometer stage, preceded by a 30.68-kilometer liaison from the service park, Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota) was once again the most effective driver in the first of the final four shakedowns for the Rally1 cars.
The WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay Fan Zone Brings Government Agencies Closer to the People
The country is in the midst of a huge celebration with the WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay taking place on our soil, and all the spectators who come to enjoy the event from the Fan Zone also find a wide range of public services, bringing various government agencies closer to the thousands of citizens who visit the space during the days of competition.
The WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay Welcomed Its Strategic Partners: The Media
The media plays a fundamental role in publicizing the events and experiences that are part of the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay. In this context, a press conference was held this Wednesday with accredited journalists and media outlets as part of the activities leading up to the start of the competition.
Fan Zone opens: The WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay brings the action to the people
The Fan Zone officially opened on Wednesday and, throughout the race, will host an exciting programme of activities, including visits to the service park, ‘Meet the Crew’ sessions, a varied Food Park, official merchandise outlets, brand activations and experiences, screens showing live broadcasts, and autograph sessions with the drivers.
The WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay welcomes drivers from abroad
With just a few days to go before the official start and the cars’ journey along the red-gravel stages of Itapúa, the excitement of experiencing the world’s best rally once again is palpable. The week of the WRC ueno Rally of Paraguay kicked off today with a welcome dinner for the drivers who will be competing for the title in the eleventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
The Monday Test saw more cars put through their paces on the red gravel of the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay
With the second day of testing, the pre-rally phase outside of any competitive stages came to an end, before giving way to Tuesday’s reconnaissance and Thursday’s shakedown. Compared to the previous day, more crews turned out, seeing the day as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the terrain and fine-tune their vehicles.
Bonus Guide #3 for the 2026 WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay: the points scoring system
This system, more so than in our local event, is what’s used throughout the FIA World Rally Championship. It’s not just the winner who earns points, and there aren’t just points for finishing the competition. We’re talking about a simple system that prompts drivers to “break out the calculator” when stage results don’t go as expected. Are you following along?
