WRC
Preview: Rally Islas Canarias
Takamoto Katsuta’s emergence as FIA World Rally Championship leader will be put firmly to the test this week as Rally Islas Canarias hosts round five of the 2026 season.
Fresh from back-to-back victories in Kenya and Croatia, the Toyota Gazoo Racing driver arrives in Gran Canaria with momentum on his side and as the first non-European driver to lead the championship. This time, however, he heads the field into one of the calendar’s most demanding asphalt events, where precision and confidence will be critical from the outset in his GR Yaris Rally1.
“I enjoyed Rally Islas Canarias a lot last year and I’m really looking forward to being back,” said Katsuta, who finished fourth when the rally debuted on the WRC calendar last season. “It’s very different to Croatia but it’s very nice to drive. At the same time, there is absolutely no room for error because everybody is driving absolutely on the limit, so a small mistake can cost you a lot, even if it’s only a few tenths or one second.”
“It will be nice to be the first car on the road on Friday, even though it’s less of an advantage there because there is not much cutting and the roads stay quite clean. I will try my best and maybe get some tips from my friend Kalle Rovanperä, who was very fast there last year.”
Rally Islas Canarias forms the second half of the championship’s first back-to-back asphalt run of the year but presents a wildly different test to Croatia. The roads are wider, cleaner and offer higher grip, with a circuit-like character that rewards commitment and accuracy.
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That should again suit Toyota, which locked out the top four positions here last season. Elfyn Evans, seven points behind Katsuta, needs a response after consecutive retirements, while Oliver Solberg remains firmly in contention after scoring maximum Super Sunday points in Croatia. Sami Pajari continues to build consistency and arrives fourth in the standings after three consecutive podium finishes.
Toyota’s strength is further underlined by the return of nine-time world champion Sébastien Ogier, who skipped Croatia but finished second here last year.
Hyundai, however, has reason for optimism. Adrien Fourmaux is the only current Rally1 driver to have previously won this event when it formed a round of the FIA European Rally Championship, while Thierry Neuville arrives determined to respond after losing victory on Croatia’s final stage. Dani Sordo’s return in a third i20 N Rally1 provides a strong home storyline on roads that should suit his asphalt expertise.
“Rally Islas Canarias is probably the most straightforward Tarmac event of the season in terms of road conditions - it’s the cleanest event, with the highest grip conditions of any Tarmac rally we do,” said Neuville. “The roads have a very circuit-like character set in the middle of a beautiful landscape, but they are very demanding and technical when it comes to pace notes.”
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“That is one of the main challenges here: making good pace notes that you can trust, because the corners are so long. We have worked hard on the car, trying to make it more precise while also improving the balance. We don't know yet what we will be able to achieve in terms of results, but if everyone gives their absolute best and we bring the car home, we can be satisfied.”
M-Sport Ford fields Jon Armstrong and Josh McErlean in a pair of Puma Rally1 cars. Armstrong showed encouraging pace in Croatia, while McErlean will be aiming for a clean run after going off the road here last year.
This year’s rally, the 50th edition of the event, features 17 stages covering 301km. Crews begin with a super special stage on Thursday evening inside Gran Canaria Stadium before the island’s mountain roads provide a stern test across the weekend.
