Encarnación, Paraguay – August 28, 2025: Takamoto Katsuta delivered a standout performance in shakedown as the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) made its historic debut at the ueno Rally del Paraguay. The Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 driver topped the timesheets on Thursday, setting the tone for what promises to be a demanding and unpredictable weekend on Paraguay’s gravel roads.

Katsuta completed the 4.92km Trinidad shakedown stage in 2min 24.4sec, edging Hyundai’s Ott Tänak by 0.6 seconds. Just a second further back, Thierry Neuville and Kalle Rovanperä shared third place, while championship leader Elfyn Evans could only manage fifth, 1.1 seconds behind his Toyota teammate.

The Japanese driver’s performance underlined his growing momentum this season, building on a remarkable runner-up finish at Secto Rally Finland just weeks earlier.

Drivers Highlight Tricky Conditions

Katsuta acknowledged the complexity of Paraguay’s debut WRC stages:
“It was a short stage, but already some surprises. The grip was changing a lot. It’s going to be a long weekend,” he said.

Rival Tänak, who secured the second-fastest time, echoed those sentiments:
“From shakedown, we can say that it looks much more tricky than anticipated. The grip changes are massive, it’s a tricky surface.”

Eight-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who placed sixth after completing just two runs, also warned of the challenge ahead:
“I can already feel now that it won’t be an easy weekend. The grip is changing a lot, it’s not easy to read and it’s all happening at very high speed. Already the first stage tomorrow morning will be a very good wake-up call.”

Top 10 Shakedown Times

1. Takamoto Katsuta (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) – 2:24.4
2. Ott Tänak (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +0.6s
3. Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 N Rally1) +1.0s
4. Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +1.0s
5. Elfyn Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1) +2.1s
6. Sébastien Ogier (Toyota GR Yaris Rally1)
7. Sami Pajari (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2)
8. Adrien Fourmaux (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1)
9. Josh McErlean (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1)
10. Grégoire Munster (M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1)

A Historic Rally Debut in Paraguay

The shakedown attracted significant local and global attention, with Paraguay’s President Santiago Peña taking part in a thrilling co-drive experience alongside Ogier. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was also in attendance, underlining the significance of Paraguay becoming the 38th nation to host a WRC event.

With unpredictable grip levels, fast-changing road conditions, and fierce competition between championship contenders, the ueno Rally del Paraguay is already shaping up to be one of the most exciting and challenging rounds of the 2025 WRC season.