Oliver Solberg, 2025: Future WRC2 Champion – 2026: Toyota Gazoo Racing driver
The Swedish driver, who would later go on to become the WRC2 World Champion, came to our country with his sights firmly set on the title; having competed and WON in Estonia with a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, he needed victory in Paraguay before heading to Chile to secure the final win he needed to claim the crown.
In 2026, he joined the Japanese-Finnish team and now competes in the full calendar; this year, we’ll see him driving on our roads once again as the Rally1 era in its current format draws to a close.
Sébastien Ogier, 2025: “I’m going for my ninth” – 2026: “It’s all down to the maths”
At the inaugural WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay, Sébastien Ogier had decided he would complete the rest of the calendar rather than just sticking to a partial programme; and not content with that, he broke his run of bad luck in South American rallies, setting out on the path that ultimately led him to the ninth title of his career.
For the second edition, although “pulling out the calculator” suggests anything is possible with four rounds and 140 points up for grabs, Ogier has told the international media that, regardless of his chances, he will finish the 2026 season in a year where, once again, the top three in the final championship standings look promising for Toyota… Indeed, a top-five finish seems likely, given that all Toyota Gazoo Racing drivers occupy the top positions in the championship standings.
New manufacturers in Paraguay, 2025: Citroën joins – 2026: Citroën leaves & Lancia joins
Although Paraguay is no stranger to the presence of the chevron-badged marque – at last year’s WRC ueno Rally del Paraguay, a single C3 Rally2 car was entered, driven by Frenchman Yohan Rossel – this year, following the sporting restructuring of the Stellantis Group, the marque that will now be the mainstay in rallies is Lancia.
The Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2, which made its debut this season, will make its first start on Paraguayan soil with two works cars; one driven by Yohan Rossel, and the other by Nikolay Gryazin.
The newcomers and the absentees, 2025 vs 2026: in both cases, several names
Whilst the entry list has grown to 60 from last year’s 48, it makes sense for this article to focus on which names will not be returning compared to the previous year.
In WRC2, Kajetan Kajetanowicz’s love for capybaras had won over the hearts of Paraguayan fans; this year, the Polish driver will be absent due to a reduced programme in that support championship. WRC3 will be without last year’s winner, the Italian Matteo Fontana.
There’s also no shortage of new faces: last year, although he had registered to take part in the competition, the Bolivian Marco Bulacia Wilkinson ended up withdrawing shortly before the start of the event due to circumstances beyond his control; this year he’s joining the WRC2 line-up in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
