WRC
Solberg edges Katsuta to top Canarias shakedown
Oliver Solberg set the pace in the Rally Islas Canarias shakedown on Thursday morning, edging championship leader Takamoto Katsuta in a tightly contested session on the island’s smooth asphalt roads.
Driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, Solberg posted a best time of 4min 06.9sec on the 6.26km Santa Brígida stage, finishing 0.5sec clear of Katsuta, with Sébastien Ogier a further two tenths back in third.
The short but technical test offered an early glimpse of the high-grip, circuit-style conditions that are set to define this fifth round of the 2026 season, with fine margins separating the field throughout the session.
Solberg steadily built his pace across his runs to climb to the top of the order.
“I think it is important to get back up to speed quickly,” he said. “I’m just trying to fine-tune the feeling a bit and work on things I need to improve.”
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Katsuta, first on the road as championship leader, was quickly into his rhythm and set the early benchmark.
“This rally is one of the best tarmac rallies in the calendar,” he said. “So let’s see what we can do.”
Ogier, returning to action after skipping Croatia Rally, slotted into third overall and was just 0.7sec adrift of the benchmark.
“I guess it is a different rally every time so there is not much we can take from [finishing] P2 last year,” he said. “The biggest gaps will happen on the new sections.”
Sami Pajari continued his consistent form with the fourth fastest time, while Elfyn Evans - looking to rebound from consecutive retirements - completed the top five.
“It is something we have to learn from and put behind us and concentrate on this weekend,” Evans said. “It is quite a different rally ahead but it will be demanding all the same.”
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Adrien Fourmaux led Hyundai Motorsport’s charge in sixth, narrowly ahead of team-mate Thierry Neuville, with returning Spaniard Dani Sordo eighth in his first Rally1 appearance of the season aboard the i20 N Rally1.
M-Sport Ford’s Josh McErlean and Jon Armstrong rounded out the Rally1 runners, with McErlean pipping his team-mate by 1.4sec as both worked to build confidence on the flowing asphalt stages.
“It is a proper rhythm and proper race track stuff,” said McErlean. “The stages are fabulous. I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
The rally begins later today with the opening super special stage inside Gran Canaria Stadium.
