The FIA World Rally Championship heads to the Canary Islands this weekend, where drivers will take on the smooth asphalt roads of Gran Canaria for the second time at WRC level. This year’s event carries a special celebratory atmosphere, as the rally marks its 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, the opening stage will be held inside a football stadium in Las Palmas, capable of hosting up to 30,000 spectators. The Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2 crew of Sami Pajari – Marko Salminen will compete on the island for the third time.
The fifth round of the WRC season presents a very different challenge compared to earlier rallies. The season opener in Monte Carlo traditionally features a mix of snow, ice, and dirty asphalt, while Sweden brings full winter conditions. In Kenya, crews battle mud, sand, and rocks, and in Croatia, varying asphalt surfaces and heavy corner cutting add complexity.
Gran Canaria, however, offers clean and high-quality asphalt, with very little corner cutting. That said, there is little margin for error: on one side there is often a barrier and a steep drop, and on the other a solid rock wall.
From 2016 to 2024, the event was part of the ERC calendar. Pajari and Salminen previously competed there in 2021, finishing second in the ERC3 class with a front-wheel-drive car. Their pace was strong then, as it was again last year, before a small mistake resulted in a crash on Saturday afternoon while running fourth.
This year, the crew will have a chance for redemption on that very stage, as Tejeda – San Mateo will be run twice on Friday. Rallying is a familiar sight on the island’s roads, and sections of this year’s Power Stage were used in as many as five different events last season.
Last year, the event suited the team’s machinery perfectly
Pajari and Salminen are eagerly looking forward to the mountainous asphalt rally. The Finnish duo arrives with strong momentum, having secured three consecutive podium finishes, and naturally aim to continue that streak. Toyota enjoyed major success in last year’s event, taking a 1–2–3–4 finish, despite Pajari’s retirement.
“I’m really looking forward to the rally — it’s one of my favourites,” Pajari said. “Its character is completely different from Croatia, where I didn’t expect to perform as well as we did. Still, we managed to lead the rally for a long time and finish second. On paper, the Canary Islands could suit us even better.”
“I already enjoyed the rally last year, and our pace was good at times. In general, my performance on asphalt has been stronger when the roads are cleaner, which was also the case in Croatia. We have a lot of positives to take with us to Gran Canaria, and I hope we can put together an even stronger rally.”
Time gaps were relatively small last year, and the same is expected this time, even though some stage layouts and directions have been modified. During reconnaissance, crews have enjoyed warm weather, but only a few weeks ago the island was hit by Storm Therese, bringing heavy rain and even landslides.
Weather conditions could still play a role. While coastal areas may enjoy sunshine, stages in the mountainous interior — reaching altitudes of over 1,500 metres — may see fog or rain. Combined with significant elevation changes, tight hairpins, and fast flowing sections within the same stage, tyre temperature management will once again be a key factor.
Sunday features more stage kilometres than last year
The rally consists of 18 special stages covering a total of 301.3 kilometres, identical to last year. The rally headquarters is located in Las Palmas, in the northeastern part of Gran Canaria.
Action begins on Thursday with the shakedown, followed later in the evening by the opening stage inside the stadium.
Friday’s stages take place in the central and western parts of the island, with a loop of three stages run twice, separated by a service break in Las Palmas. The day concludes with another run of the stadium stage in front of a large crowd. Friday’s total competitive distance is 108.8 kilometres.
Saturday follows a similar format, with three stages run twice and a midday service. The opening stage of the day is located near Maspalomas in the south, with the remaining two in the north. Saturday covers 112.2 kilometres.
Sunday’s stages are held in the eastern and southeastern parts of the island. After two stages and a regroup, crews repeat the same stages before a second regroup and the rally-ending Power Stage. Sunday’s distance is 78.4 kilometres, making it around 20 kilometres longer than last year.