Although the Canary Islands has previously hosted European Rally Championship events, this is the first time the archipelago features in the WRC.
For most of the drivers, it’s an exciting new experience. But for Toyota team boss Juha Kankkunen, the asphalt roads of the Canary Islands are familiar.
“I’ve been here five times myself. Most of the lads are here for the first time now, but they seem to really like the roads,” Kankkunen told RallyJournal.com.
Toyota had a solid start during the morning shakedown. Kalle Rovanperä set the pace, edging out teammate Takamoto Katsuta.
Championship leader Elfyn Evans was fifth fastest on the stage, Sebastien Ogier sixth, and Sami Pajari managed eighth.
“At least judging by the Shakedown, there’s nothing wrong with our performance. The pace is right where it should be and everyone seems quite satisfied,” Kankkunen said.
Rovanperä’s season has gotten off to a slow start, but he looked strong right from the test stage. This didn’t surprise Kankkunen.
“Kalle has shown what he’s capable of before. It wasn’t a surprise. We all know he can drive. Everything just clicked this time and he was happy with the car,” Kankkunen explained.
Rovanperä’s car setup was spot on from the start.
“He didn’t need to change anything. He just said there’s no need to try anything—just go for it,” Kankkunen revealed.
The other Toyota drivers also found a rhythm quickly.
“Taka was the only one who complained a bit about understeer, but the rest of the guys said everything was just fine,” said Kankkunen.
Rovanperä did a lot of circuit racing last year, which could be beneficial in the Canary Islands, where there aren’t many cutting corners—making it feel more like a circuit-style event.
“Rallying is of course a bit different, but he gained a good feel for the tarmac back then, and that’s certainly not a bad thing. Any seat time is good. I did some circuit races back in my day, and it never hurt. It was always useful experience,” Kankkunen reflected.
Rovanperä is expected to deliver a strong result in the Canary Islands, but the same goes for Sebastien Ogier, who returns to WRC competition.
“Ogier is always fast, no matter the surface,” Kankkunen reminded.
“But now he’ll probably enjoy it more with clean asphalt. He’s always hated when there’s a lot of cutting and mud on the road. That won’t happen here. It’s clean, circuit-like asphalt. He seems very happy,” Kankkunen added.
Elfyn Evans arrived in the Canary Islands with a solid lead in the standings. While there’s no real pressure to win, Kankkunen doesn’t believe the Welshman will play it safe either.
“None of these guys know how to drive slowly!” Kankkunen laughed.
“The season is still young and there are a lot of points up for grabs. He’ll just drive based on how it feels—and that’s the way to go,” Kankkunen assessed.
Toyota enters the rally in a strong position, but Hyundai is sure to put up a fight. Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak and Adrien Fourmaux will all be challenging the Japanese squad.
“It’ll be a tough battle. We’ve seen that before. All their drivers are capable on tarmac,” Kankkunen said.
“The big question has been tyre durability on these 60 km stages. Our Seb (Ogier) and Ott (Tänak) are the gentlest on tyres. They know exactly when the tyres start to give way. They might be the best when it comes to tyre conservation,” Kankkunen predicted.
Hankook’s tarmac tyres will face a tough test in the Canary Islands. According to Kankkunen, the drivers already gained valuable insights into tyre durability during testing.
“Testing is always different to the real competition, but the drivers know the tyres will wear out eventually if you push too hard. Durability is limited, but tomorrow will show more. We’ll be a lot wiser after that,” Kankkunen concluded.
