Oliver Solberg Wins SS11, Ogier Holds Rally Lead

Rally, Sportrik Media - Oliver Solberg of Toyota Gazoo Racing claimed a narrow stage victory on SS11 of Rally Canary Islands 2026, while Sebastien Ogier maintained the overall rally lead.

The 28.9-kilometre Moya – Galdar 1 stage proved to be the most demanding test of the event so far. Solberg and Ogier were closely matched throughout, trading time advantages across split sectors. Ogier held a 2.5-second advantage at one point, but Solberg increased his pace in the latter sections to secure the stage win by the smallest possible margin of 0.1 seconds.

Rain added complexity to the already technical asphalt stage, particularly in the closing kilometres where grip levels dropped significantly. Drivers were required to adapt braking points and throttle application to manage traction on the increasingly slippery surface.

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“It was very slippery towards the end because of the rain, so we were a bit unlucky,” Ogier said, reflecting on the changing conditions.

Solberg also encountered difficulties, including sections with unexpected dirt on the road that forced him wide and into slight contact with a barrier. Despite this, he maintained enough pace to top the stage times.

“There was dirt in some places unexpectedly. I went a bit wide and touched the barrier, but nothing major,” Solberg explained.

Behind the leading pair, Elfyn Evans was unable to match their pace, finishing eight seconds off the fastest time. In the overall standings, Ogier leads by 5.3 seconds over Solberg, while Evans remains third but has fallen 18.2 seconds behind the leader.

Sami Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta lost further ground to the leading trio. Pajari holds fourth position overall, but his deficit has increased to 44 seconds, with Katsuta close behind in fifth.

“It was quite challenging. It felt decent considering there were many slippery sections, but I probably need to push harder,” Pajari commented.

Within Hyundai Motorsport, Adrien Fourmaux was the only driver able to approach the pace of the slower Toyota entries, although he still finished sixth on the stage. He remains in the same position overall, trailing the leader by nearly one and a half minutes.

With three stages remaining on Saturday, the evolving conditions are expected to continue influencing the competitive balance. Consistency and the ability to manage grip variations will be decisive factors heading into the final day of the rally.

Overall Classification – WRC Canary Islands 2026 (After SS11/18)

Pos	Driver	Car	Time
1	Sebastien Ogier	Toyota	1:26:38.1
2	Oliver Solberg	Toyota	+5.3
3	Elfyn Evans	Toyota	+18.2
4	Sami Pajari	Toyota	+44.0
5	Takamoto Katsuta	Toyota	+49.8
6	Adrien Fourmaux	Hyundai	+1:24.8
7	Dani Sordo	Hyundai	+1:44.5
8	Thierry Neuville	Hyundai	+1:51.6
9	Josh McErlean	Ford	+2:52.3
10	Jon Armstrong	Ford	+3:12.3

The SS11 result underlines the tight battle at the front between Ogier and Solberg, while also highlighting the growing gap to the rest of the field. With unpredictable grip levels continuing to challenge drivers, even small mistakes could prove decisive in the fight for victory in Rally Canary Islands 2026.