WRC
Rovanperä’s Canary Streak Rolls into Saturday
Kalle Rovanperä’s unbeaten run continued through Saturday morning as the Finn claimed another trio of stage wins at Rally Islas Canarias, further tightening his grip on the event.
With almost 60 per cent of the FIA World Rally Championship’s fourth round completed, the Toyota GAZOO Racing star now leads by a commanding 36.9sec over Sébastien Ogier. Elfyn Evans, Sami Pajari, and Takamoto Katsuta follow behind, maintaining a GR Yaris Rally1 sweep of the top five.
Co-driven by Jonne Halttunen, Rovanperä had begun the penultimate day 26.8sec clear of the chasing pack. With nine of Gran Canaria’s 18 asphalt stages now completed, he remains unbeaten across every test so far.
Ogier was able to stay within a second of his team-mate across the first two stages but Rovanperä hit another level on the final stage of the loop, Tejeda–San Mateo, which he won by 8.4sec.
The 24-year-old reported a downshifting issue after the opener, although it appeared to be swiftly resolved and did not seem to affect his times.
Ogier (right) is nw focused on consolidating second position
© Toyota GAZOO Racing
"Like I've said many times, on these kinds of roads, it's not about pushing, it's about having the flow,” said Rovanperä. “And yeah, it seems that everything is working well.”
Eight-time world champion Ogier has all but conceded victory to his younger team-mate and instead shifted focus to consolidating second place. He successfully extended his margin over third-placed Evans, the current championship leader, to 16.1sec.
Pajari admitted he had started the day “too cautiously” but praised himself for “keeping it clean and tidy” as he preserved a 9.1sec advantage over Katsuta, who confessed to a lack of confidence - particularly in the damp, high-altitude sections of Moya–Gáldar.
Fourmaux reclaimed sixth overall
© WRC
Behind them, Adrien Fourmaux moved back ahead of Hyundai team-mates Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak after losing ground on Friday evening. The trio filled positions six to eight, with all three of the i20 N Rally1 drivers still struggling for pace as the team continued searching for set-up solutions to suit the island’s abrasive asphalt.
“We're trying really to put the car as far as we can to make it work well, but I'm on the limit of what I can do,” Neuville explained. “I have no other differentials available this weekend. I'm stuck with what I have.”
Grégoire Munster, also battling set-up difficulties, remained a distant ninth, while WRC2 leader Yohan Rossel completed the overall top 10.
