Canary Islands have hosted a round of the European Rally Championship for several years, but the World Rally Championship has not previously been raced on the Atlantic archipelago.
The last time a WRC event was held in Spain was in 2022 in Salou, about an hour’s drive from Barcelona.
“The rally was becoming too similar, and there were no innovations. The same special stages and the same formula were repeated all the time. That was probably one reason why it was dropped,” Toyota team principal Jari-Matti Latvala speculated to RallyJournal.com.
The rally in the Salou region, known as Rally Catalunya, was a pure tarmac competition, offering almost circuit-like conditions. A similar event is expected on Rally Islas Canarias.
“The Canary Islands definitely have really good special stages. The roads look great,” Latvala said.
Latvala identified only one slightly negative aspect of moving from the Spanish round to the Canary Islands.
“Spain has a strong rally culture. But the islands are quite far away, and I don’t think there will be the same kind of crowd as there has been closer to Barcelona. It’s a bit more difficult for the audience compared to the mainland,” Latvala noted.
The Canarian rally organization’s contract covers the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
“I believe it will be a great event for the drivers to drive and good for the cars too. Logistics are a bit more challenging for the teams, but we need to have different kinds of rallies. It’s important for the series,” Latvala emphasized.
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