Last year’s winner Yoann Bonato topped the time sheets in the qualifying stage, edging out second-placed Diego Ruiloba by a tenth of a second.
Surprisingly, Bonato was not pleased after seeing his time.
“It wasn’t my target. I was aiming for a place between 10th and 12th. I don’t know why; maybe I braked a bit early, or maybe too late,” Bonato stated.
The French driver had a reason for his dissatisfaction. Securing the top spot in qualifying grants him the first starting position in Friday’s special stages, which is normally the best scenario in tarmac rallies. However, in the Rally Islas Canarias, it might be a different story.
“It’s not a good start because it’s not the best position. We saw that last year. We started in first position, and it was really difficult. But it’s entirely my fault that I was a bit too fast on this one,” Bonato chuckled.
“Last year we started first, lost around 30 seconds in the first stage, and then won the rally by 30 seconds. So, we’ll see,” the Frenchman added.
Last year’s Rally Islas Canarias began in rainy and wet conditions, which made it challenging for Bonato starting from the first position. Sunny weather is forecast for Las Palmas on Friday, but the roads may still be damp in the morning.
Hungarian Miklos Csomos finished third in Thursday’s qualifying, ahead of Frenchman Mathieu Franceschi. The stage was extremely close, with the top 19 drivers all within less than four seconds of each other.
The first proper special stage of the rally will take place on Thursday evening. The spectator stage will pass near the Las Palmas football stadium and also visit the inside of a basketball arena.
