Kalle Rovanperä Triumphs at Rally Islas Canarias, Boosting His FIA World Rally Championship Bid: In a remarkable display of skill, Kalle Rovanperä reignited his pursuit of a third FIA World Rally Championship title by clinching victory at the inaugural Rally Islas Canarias. Entering this fourth round nearly 60 points behind the leaders, the Toyota GAZOO Racing star demonstrated an unparalleled rhythm on the challenging asphalt of Gran Canaria, propelling himself and co-driver Jonne Halttunen from sixth to second place in the championship standings. The demanding asphalt roads and steep mountain passes of Gran Canaria posed a unique challenge, yet Rovanperä navigated them expertly, winning an impressive 15 out of the 18 rally stages over the weekend. His exceptional performance on Super Sunday, which included scoring maximum points on the bonus-paying Wolf Power Stage, earned him the highest possible 35 points, significantly boosting his title hopes.

Saturday’s Near-Perfect Performance Sets the Stage for Rovanperä’s Victory: Rovanperä’s commanding presence was evident from the start on Saturday, where he solidified his overnight lead with a nearly flawless performance. Winning six out of the seven asphalt stages that day, he nearly doubled his advantage from Friday’s standings. The only hindrance to a complete sweep came from teammate Elfyn Evans, who mounted a late challenge during the evening’s super special stage. By the end of Saturday, Rovanperä had triumphed in 12 out of the 13 stages contested, establishing a formidable 45.2-second lead over his competitors. At this point, the top four competitors were all behind the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, further emphasizing the team’s dominance.

Toyota’s Strong Performance: Rovanperä and Teammates Dominate Rally Islas Canarias: Following Rovanperä’s impressive lead, his Toyota GAZOO Racing teammates maintained strong positions throughout the rally. Sébastien Ogier, who had conceded his chances for the top spot early on, strategically focused on securing second place, successfully increasing the gap to Elfyn Evans during Saturday’s stages. Ultimately, Evans secured a commendable third place, finishing 23.6 seconds behind Ogier, which further extended his lead in the drivers’ championship despite not contending for the win. Takamoto Katsuta also delivered an outstanding performance for Toyota, completing the top four, finishing 45.8 seconds behind Evans. The overall strong showing by Toyota throughout the weekend significantly widened their lead in the manufacturers’ championship over Hyundai Motorsport.

Hyundai Faces Challenges on the Gran Canaria Circuit: The Rally Islas Canarias presented significant hurdles for the Hyundai Motorsport team, with all three of their i20 N Rally1 drivers struggling to find a competitive edge on the unfamiliar asphalt terrain. Issues reportedly linked to differential settings plagued Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux throughout the rally. Taking advantage of Sami Pajari‘s retirement on Saturday, Fourmaux managed to finish as Hyundai’s top driver in fifth place, albeit a considerable 2 minutes and 31 seconds behind the victorious Rovanperä. Neuville and Tänak concluded the rally in sixth and seventh places, respectively, marking a disappointing outcome for the Korean manufacturer, whose drivers were previously positioned second and third in the championship standings before this event. Complicating matters for Tänak was a Saturday night engine change, executed under pressure and incurring a minimal time penalty.

The WRC2 Class: Emerging Talents Shine in Top Ten: Amidst the fierce competition in the Rally1 category, the WRC2 class showcased its own thrilling narratives. Yohan Rossel, Alejandro Cachón, and Nikolay Gryazin, all participants in this second-tier class, impressively rounded out the overall top ten, highlighting the depth of talent and speed within the WRC support categories. Meanwhile, Grégoire Munster, driving an M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1, managed to recover to eleventh place after a challenging off-road excursion on Saturday. Unfortunately, his teammate Josh McErlean was unable to complete the rally, crashing out during the opening stage on Sunday.

Rovanperä’s Resounding Victory Signals a Shift Towards Portugal: Kalle Rovanperä’s commanding win at the Rally Islas Canarias marks a pivotal moment in his 2025 championship journey. With his points deficit significantly reduced, he now occupies a strong second position as he heads into the next round. The FIA World Rally Championship now transitions from the smooth asphalt of Gran Canaria to the rugged gravel stages of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, scheduled from May 14 to 19 in the northwestern city of Matosinhos. This shift in surface will present a new array of challenges for drivers and teams as the season progresses.

Final Overall Classification of Rally Islas Canarias:

1. Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen (FIN) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: 2h 54m 38.9s
2. Sébastien Ogier / Vincent Landais (FRA) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: +53.5s
3. Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin (GBR) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: +1m 17.1s
4. Takamoto Katsuta / Aaron Johnston (JPN/IRL) Toyota GR Yaris Rally1: +2m 02.9s
5. Adrien Fourmaux / Alexandre Coria (FRA) Hyundai i20 N Rally1: +2m 31.0s
6. Ott Tänak / Martin Järveoja (EST) Hyundai i20 N Rally1: +3m 11.5s
7. Thierry Neuville / Martijn Wydaeghe (BEL) Hyundai i20 N Rally1: +3m 57.9s
8. Yohan Rossel / Arnaud Dunand (FRA) Citroën C3 Rally2: +6m 43.8s
9. Alejandro Cachón / Borja Rozada (ESP) Toyota GR Yaris Rally2: +7m 58.4s
10. Nikolay Gryazin / Konstantin Aleksandrov (ANA) Škoda Fabia RS Rally2: +8m 13.5s

Disclaimer: Results and data are based on available reports and may be subject to final confirmation.

Source: WRC
AI Support: Gemini