Andrea Lafarja became the first Paraguayan woman to stand on the podium at a World Rally Championship event on home soil. She secured third place in the WRC Masters Cup during the Rally of Paraguay 2026. The historic result came at the country’s second-ever WRC round in Encarnación, marking another milestone in an already groundbreaking season for the Paraguayan driver.
“A whole lifetime waiting for this day… To compete in a World Championship round in my own country and stand on the podium,” Lafarja wrote on her social media. “I feel happy, very sore, and fulfilled. Today we all achieved something enormous: Having the first Paraguayan woman on the podium of a World Championship event at home.”
Another milestone in a pioneering season
The podium represents another landmark in a season already filled with firsts for Lafarja. Earlier this year, she became the first Paraguayan woman to contest a full FIA World Rally Championship campaign, competing in both the WRC Masters Cup and WRC2 Challenger categories with the MSI Racing Team in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.
Before embarking on the 2026 campaign, Lafarja had already built an impressive résumé. She completed the Dakar Rally three times, finished as a Dakar finalist and won the Chaco Rally twice, establishing herself as one of Paraguay’s most accomplished rally drivers.
In the WRC Masters Cup classification at Rally del Paraguay, Lafarja and co-driver Germán Maune finished third in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. The category was won by Miguel Zaldívar Sr. and Juan José Sánchez in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
While Miguel Granados and Marc Martí secured second in another Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Jorge Martínez and Marcelo Brizio finished fourth in a Ford Fiesta Rally3, with César Pedotti and Nicolás Elizaur completing the top five in a Volkswagen Polo GTi R5.
Emotional tribute after home success
Lafarja’s World Rally Championship season began with another historic result in Kenya, where she became the first Paraguayan woman to finish on the WRC Masters Cup podium after claiming third place at the Safari Rally. The result in Paraguay now adds an even more emotional chapter, achieved before a home crowd at one of the country’s biggest sporting events.
Following the finish, Lafarja dedicated the achievement to those who have supported her throughout her career. “Thank you to my beautiful Paraguay, to my family, to my unconditional team, MSI Racing Team, and of course to my great co-driver, friend and family, Germán Maune.”
The Rally of Paraguay itself has quickly become one of the highlights of the international motorsport calendar. Following its successful World Rally Championship debut in 2025, the event returned to Encarnación in 2026 with thousands of spectators lining the stages across Itapúa Department.
While Finland’s Sami Pajari claimed overall victory in the top Rally1 category and Paraguayan star Diego Domínguez celebrated success in WRC2, Lafarja’s podium carried particular significance for local fans as it represented another breakthrough for women in Paraguayan motorsport.
Inspiring the next generation
When announcing her full WRC programme last year, Lafarja said that her greatest ambition extended beyond personal results.
“For me, it is an honour to represent Paraguay. When I go abroad, I do not care if they remember my name; what matters to me is that they remember where I am from, that they say ‘the Paraguayan woman’, and that I raise my country’s flag high.”
Her latest achievement suggests that mission is already being accomplished. Andrea Lafarja has added another historic chapter to Paraguayan sport while inspiring a new generation of female competitors.
