Sami Pajari Increases Lead at Rally Paraguay Amid Storm Damage

Sami Pajari has widened his lead in Rally Paraguay to 22.8 seconds as heavy rain struck the service park, causing damage to several team facilities.

The anticipated rain did not affect the rally stages, allowing Pajari to maintain his advantage over Hyundai's Hayden Paddon, from whom he gained time on three of the four stages. Despite a scare in stage 11 where he damaged the rear wing of his Toyota GR Yaris after running wide, Pajari managed to return to service with a solid lead.

Paddon, who had set up his car for wet conditions, struggled to match his previous day's performance and lost time to Pajari. Championship leader Elfyn Evans expressed relief that the rain did not impact the stages, while Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai claimed two of the morning stages, remaining in fourth overall. M-Sport-Ford faced significant damage to their service area due to the storm and had to relocate their setup.