WRC, Sportrik Media - Oliver Solberg set the pace as Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT locked out the top five positions during the opening shakedown runs of Rally Islas Canarias 2026, underlining the manufacturer’s early dominance on asphalt.
Solberg posted a benchmark time of 4:09.6, finishing 0.7 seconds ahead of team-mate Sebastien Ogier, who returned to the GR Yaris Rally1 cockpit after a short break. Elfyn Evans completed a Toyota 1-2-3, reinforcing the team’s competitive edge at the start of the event.
The Swedish driver arrives in Canarias with mixed momentum following Croatia, where strong pace was overshadowed by retirement. However, his maximum points haul on Super Sunday provided a foundation for renewed confidence heading into this rally.
“It’s important to get back into a good feeling quickly. We had strong pace in Croatia, so the goal is to carry that here,” Solberg said.
Behind the leading trio, Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta secured fourth and fifth, continuing their consistent early-season form. Pajari, currently fourth in the championship standings, identified Canarias as a key opportunity.
“It won’t be easy, but I hope we can achieve a strong result this weekend,” Pajari stated.
Outside Toyota’s dominance, Josh McErlean was the fastest non-Toyota driver in sixth for M-Sport Ford, finishing ahead of the entire Hyundai Motorsport line-up led by Dani Sordo, Thierry Neuville, and Adrien Fourmaux.
The result reinforces the early-season trend, with Hyundai continuing to trail Toyota—particularly on asphalt events. Toyota also dominated this rally in its previous edition, and initial indications suggest a similar competitive pattern may emerge this weekend.
From a technical standpoint, the smooth, circuit-like asphalt stages of Canarias favour the stability and aerodynamic efficiency of the GR Yaris Rally1, enabling higher sustained cornering speeds and consistent tyre performance.
The rally officially begins on Thursday evening with the opening super special stage in Las Palmas, before moving into the main competitive stages across the weekend. With Toyota establishing early momentum, the pressure shifts to Hyundai to respond during the opening leg.
| POS | FOTO | RIDER / TEAM | TIME / GAP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | Oliver SolbergToyota Gazoo Racing WRT | 4:09.6 Swedia | 0 |
2 |  | Sebastien OgierToyota Gazoo Racing WRT | +0.7 Prancis | 0 |
3 |  | Elfyn EvansToyota Gazoo Racing WRT | +1.0 Britania Raya | 0 |
4 |  | Sami PajariToyota Gazoo Racing WRT | +2.0 Finlandia | 0 |
5 |  | Takamoto KatsutaToyota Gazoo Racing WRT | +3.8 Jepang | 0 |
6 |  | Josh McErleanM-Sport Ford | +6.5 Irlandia | 0 |
7 |  | Dani SordoHyundai Motorsport | +6.6 | 0 |
8 |  | Thierry NeuvilleHyundai Motorsport | +6.9 Belgia | 0 |
9 |  | Adrien FourmauxHyundai Motorsport | +6.9 Prancis | 0 |
10 |  | Jon ArmstrongM-Sport Ford | +8.1 Irlandia Utara | 0 |
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