Asunción, Agencia IP.- Paraguay will become the 38th country to host a round of the FIA World Rally Championship in 2025, announced President Santiago Peña this Saturday during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Petrobras Rally Transchaco, the third round of Paraguay’s national championship.

«Paraguay dreamed big and reached the finish line. We will host a great world event like the WRC. We are preparing to show the world in 2025 our ability to work together to execute an international event of great caliber excellently,» Peña expressed on his social media.

When announcing the symbolic start of the Transchaco Rally 2024, he said, «Paraguay is great, and the world is in the process of discovering us… hosting world-class events like the WRC is another way to show the world our greatness.»

In this context, the Head of State signed an agreement with the director of the World Rally Car, Simon Larkin, and called on all Paraguayans to prepare for the competition, which will be held for the first time in Paraguay, in the Itapúa department.

He highlighted that only two American countries were selected for this major sporting event: Paraguay and Chile.

A multi-year agreement makes the WRC promoter’s long-standing ambition to return to two events annually in South America a reality.

Paraguay has a solid rally heritage, and this sport thrives in the heart of South America. Gustavo Saba was a regular face in the Argentine rounds of the WRC during the 2010s. More recently, Fabrizio Zaldivar has become an established competitor in WRC2. Diego Domínguez is among the favorites for the Junior WRC and WRC3 titles.

Paraguayan drivers have also won the last 11 FIA CODASUR South American Rally Championship editions.

They explained that the WRC promoter’s proactive approach to creating a more sustainable future for rallying played a significant role in Paraguay’s bid to be part of the championship.

«We have been in discussions with Paraguay for several years, and I am incredibly pleased to see this agreement,» expressed WRC’s Senior Director of Events, Simon Larkin, who was present to celebrate the special announcement.

«There is no doubt about the passion of the Paraguayan nation for rallying, and we can’t wait to broadcast this passion, as well as the spectacular landscape of Paraguay, to the world,» he said.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said, «Welcoming Paraguay to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2025 is a fantastic opportunity for the series and all its stakeholders to explore new horizons.

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is the FIA’s premier rally series. It showcases high-performance hybrid-powered cars and the world’s best drivers competing in spectacular environments, ranging from the icy winter of Sweden to the heat and rocky tracks of Kenya. Participants compete for driver and manufacturer titles in 13 rallies.