Expert Opinion: WRC’s spicy title fight set for voyage into the unknown

The prospect of a voyage into the unknown is set to add another layer of intrigue in a particularly spicy World Rally Championship title fight this weekend.

Paraguay will make its WRC debut the week, playing host to round 10 of the season, which on paper seems impossible to predict as the world’s best drivers prepare to tackle 19 brand new gravel stages in unfamiliar conditions.

The new event is set to provide a curveball at perhaps the most inconvenient time for those fighting for the title, with only 13 points separating the championship’s top four with five rounds remaining. Toyota’s Elfyn Evans holds a three-point lead over team-mate Kalle Rovanpera. The pair are marginally ahead of Sebastien Ogier, who has been contesting a partial campaign. Ogier however has now committed to a bid for a record equalling ninth world title, and is just 13 points adrift alongside Hyundai’s Ott Tanak.

To get a read of the form book, DAZN News spoke to legendary WRC television commentator Becs Williams for an expert opinion.

What challenges will Paraguay present the crews?

Hyundai

“We don’t know a huge amount about the rally. It is a different kind of surface to other rallies. The roads are made from this road soil which have quite a soft base which on second pass it could become deeply rutted. If it rains it could be like ice and the soil will be like clay, and won’t absorb the water, so the cars will skate all over it. The terrain will be different every single day and there will be a mixture of fast and slow sections. That is all we know right now, we are really going into the unknown.

“Here only the South American drivers have experience of these roads so there is very little knowledge around for the top WRC drivers. I love the fact that we have new events because it means that it is level playing field. There is nobody you can absolutely say that has a particular strength on brand new events. But it is all about making the best pace notes and reading the road effectively, that is the key to new rallies.”

Cream of the crop will rise to the top in spicy title fight

Toyota

“The championship has got incredibly spicy with 13 points separating four drivers thanks to Kalle Rovanpera re-finding form in Finland. After his performance in Estonia I think we had all lost hope in what he could produce and then he delivered this incredible drive to finally win his home event, which is now going to be a massive boost of confidence for him. The [tyre] struggles he has had to deal with this year are not going to go away but he is just having to deal with and get on top of it.

“The championship has got really interesting, so what a brilliant time to introduce a brand new event where you wipe the cards clean, level the playing field, and that is where you will see the cream rise to the top.”

Impossible to pick a winner in Paraguay in spicy title fight

Toyota

“With Sebastien Ogier you can never rule him out of anything because he is such a sublime driver in any scenario. I think he comes more into his own when the pressure is on his shoulders. Last year is however probably a bad example because as soon as he said he was going for the title it all fell apart, but this year he seems to be in this sort of ‘zen’ place and there is something different about his attitude and he seems to be way way calmer. I think he will take it into his stride. I don’t think right now you can pick out a winner of Rally Paraguay because they can all win it, but if I had to put 100 pounds on someone it would be on Ogier.

“I feel a bit sorry for Elfyn Evans as after one rally of not having to sweep the roads he is now back in the championship lead and has to sweep the roads again in Paraguay. We don’t know how much loose gravel there is and neither does he. Even if it rains it is not going to help because of the road surface and he will be the first to discover that and that could be super challenging.

"Toyota boss Jari-Matti Latvala has said that Ott Tanak is the one to watch in the championship. He is the only Hyundai driver that can really go for the title with Thierry Neuville pretty much out of the game, barring all his rivals having poor rallies, so the full focus on the team has to be on Ott. Tanak will have a fire in his belly as he wants a second title and he is ruthless as a competitor. Finland was catastrophic for him but he is still close in the title race.”

Pressure is on in inter-team M-Sport-Ford battle

M-Sport Ford

“I think Gregoire Munster needs a good result. Josh McErlean has come in this season as a new driver in Rally1 machinery, and for the most part he is finishing ahead of Greg in events, and that shouldn’t be happening. Is Greg feeling the pressure? He should be because there is no guarantee we will see him with M-Sport next year and he needs to up the game.

“It is going to be a tough ask to do that on a brand new event but he doses need to up it against his team-mate and show the team he is the team leader with all the experience.”

Watch WRC on DAZN

Follow all the action of the FIA World Rally Championship LIVE this weekend from Paraguay 29th -31st August. Three days not to be missed! The 2025 World Rally Championship is available through DAZN on its own dedicated app channel,  Rally TV. It is available either as a dedicated Rally TV subscription, or as part of your existing DAZN subscription for a small add-on fee.

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