WRC visit to Paraguay takes shape

Organisers have revealed the route for Paraguay’s inaugural World Rally Championship round later this year.

The South American nation is set to make its WRC debut this year as it hosts round 10 of the 2025 season on 28-31 August, after signing a multi-year agreement.

A burgeoning local rally scene that has helped produce established WRC2 and Junior WRC drivers Fabrizio Zaldivar and Diego Dominguez has played a role in triggering a desire for Paraguay to host a round of the WRC.

Preparations for the championship’s highly anticipated visit to Paraguay took another step with the country’s president Santiago Pena revealing the itinerary that will await crews.

The gravel rally will be based in the city of Encarnacion, situated in Paraguay’s south-east, on the border with Argentina. In total, competitors will tackle 951.59 kilometres, including 334.52 competitive kilometres split across 19 stages.

Friday will comprise the longest leg of the rally, featuring 140.90 competitive kilometres including two passes through the rally’s longest stage, Yerbatera (30km).

Saturday takes the field deeper into Paraguay’s interior with 113.60km of stages before four more tests on Sunday conclude the event.

The reveal of the route follows a successful test event held last September, witnessed by representatives from the WRC, Toyota, M-Sport-Ford, the FIA and 2025 control tyre supplier Hankook.

“We know this event will provide a unique new story to the WRC,” said WRC event director Simon Larkin following last year’s test event.

The rally is one of three new rounds to join the WRC’s expanded calendar this year, including this month’s visit to the Canary Islands (24-27 April), following a decision to promote the asphalt event from the European Rally Championship to the WRC.  

The season will reach its climax with an all-new final round in Saudi Arabia (27-30 November) as part of a 10-year deal that will bring the WRC back to the Middle East for the first time since 2011. 

Saudi Arabia is set to host a 12-stage test event from 1-3 May to prepare for its WRC debut.