› New to team Toksport WRT, Taylor Gill and co-driver Daniel Brkic impress at the eleventh round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
› Team-mates Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo maintain their overall lead in the WRC2 Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ Championship despite finishing outside the points positions.
› Miguel Ángel Zaldívar/Juan José Sánchez drive team MZR Paraguay’s Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to victory in the WRC Masters Cup classification.
Encarnación (PAR), 30 August 2026 – Rally del Paraguay turned out to be a difficult FIA World Rally Championship event for the fastest Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews. WRC2 overall leaders Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo lost all chances of achieving a top result already during the first stage. Fabrizio Zaldívar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian were on course to a podium position. However, a late off threw a spanner in the works. In the end, it was left to two Australian newcomers to the Škoda camp to pull the chestnuts out of the fire.
After finishing last year’s FIA Junior World Rally Championship as runner-up, Taylor Gill has advanced to WRC2 for the 2026 season. Rally del Paraguay was already the fourth event of the season for the 22-year-old from New South Wales. However, he and fellow Australian co-driver Daniel Brkic competed for the first time with a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
“Toksport WRT has proven their world-class level time and time again over many years. When you look at the championships they have won, the pedigree speaks for itself,“ Taylor Gill said before the start. And already the first leg confirmed his decision to switch teams. The Australians reached Friday’s finish sixth in WRC2 and second-best Škoda crew. With a faultless drive on Saturday – except for a slow puncture – they advanced to fifth place in the category.
Until that point, Paraguayan fan favourite Fabrizio “Fau” Zaldívar and Italian co-driver Marcelo Der Ohannesian were the best-placed Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew in third position. However, an off during the second stage on Sunday morning resulted in a time loss of more than nine minutes. The MZR Paraguay car survived the longitudinal flip with surprisingly little damage. “Quite a disaster. But we continue for the fans,” the local hero said. Fabrizio Zaldívar/Marcelo Der Ohannesian were classified ninth in WRC2.
Thanks to their brand colleagues’ mishap, Taylor Gill and Daniel Brkic climbed one more position in the WRC2 overall classification. “Our goal was to be in the WRC2 top five. Fourth place feels well deserved. We kept our nose clean for most of the rally. Our pace improved slightly, and it's good to have this foundation to build on for Rally Chile. I'd like to say a big thank you to Toksport WRT and everyone who made this opportunity possible. It's been a real pleasure to drive the car this weekend,” commented Taylor Gill.
Fau Zaldívar was not the only family member to compete in the second Rally del Paraguay. Older brother Miguel and co-driver Luis Allende brought another MZR Paraguay Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 home a fine seventh in WRC2. Father Miguel Ángel and navigator Juan José Sánchez won the WRC Masters Cup reserved for drivers over the age of 50. Second position in this category went to another Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 pairing, defending champions Miguel Granados from Mexico and Spanish co-driver Marc Martí.
For championship leaders Robert Virves and co-driver Jakko Viilo, bad luck struck already in the very first stage. The Estonians‘ hopes of achieving one of the top positions were dashed when they crashed into some bushes on Friday’s opening stage “Cambyreta“. Although they managed to keep their Toksport WRT-entered Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 running with some extensive stage-side repairs, they lost nearly one hour. Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo eventually reached the finish far off the points positions. Nevertheless, they maintain their overall lead in the WRC2 Drivers' and Co-Drivers' classifications.
Next on the schedule is the FIA World Rally Championship’s second South American round: Rally Chile Bio Bío takes place in two weeks’ time (10-13 September 2026).
Number of the rally: 9
Following the unfortunate first stage, Robert Virves and Jakko Viilo gave it their all. The Toksport WRT-run Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 was listed at the top of the WRC2 time sheets nine times across the 21 stages actually run. No other WRC2 crew won more stages.
Result Rally del Paraguay (PAR), 27-30 August 2026,
11th round of the FIA World Rally Championship
1 Diego Domínguez/Rogelio Peñate (PAR/ESP), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, 3:21:09.0 hours
2 Gus Greensmith/Jonas Andersson (GBR/SWE), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +22.7 seconds
3 Alejandro Galanti/Marcelo Toyotoshi (PAR/PAR), Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, +2:42.5 minutes
4 Taylor Gill/Daniel Brkic (AUS/AUS), Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, +2:56.4 minutes
5 Nikolay Gryazin/Konstantin Aleksandrov (BUL/KGZ), Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, +4:16.3 minutes
6 Yohan Rossel/Arnaud Dunand (FRA/FRA), Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, +4:26.4 minutes
Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 11 of 14 events)
1 Robert Virves (EST), Škoda, 100 points (from 5 rallies)
2 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 79 points (from 6 rallies)
3 Teemu Suninen (FIN), Toyota, 76 points (from 4 rallies)
Standings WRC2/Teams (after 11 of 14 events)
1 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 235 points
2 Lancia Corse HF, Lancia, 227 points
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Ford, 45 points
4 Toksport WRT 2, Škoda, 37 points
5 2C Junior Team, Lancia, 37 points
MediaBox
