Sebastien Ogier stormed to his first win of 2026 WRC season at Rally Islas Canarias after Toyota teammate Oliver Solberg suffered a dramatic crash on the penultimate stage.
Ogier led a dominant Toyota 1-2-3-4 lockout to mark the Japanese manufacturer’s 300th podium finish in World Rally Championship history, underscoring the GR Yaris Rally1’s supremacy across the rally’s 18 demanding special stages totaling over 322 kilometers of competitive distance.
“First and foremost I’ve enjoyed myself this weekend,” the Frenchman said after snagging his 68th career victory. “We had a great car to drive again so well done to all the team.
“It’s been an extremely close battle all weekend, especially with my team-mate Oliver [Solberg]. It’s a shame we could not all finish and bring this show to an end, but from our side we did what we had to do and pretty happy to win a new rally on the list.”
The 2026 WRC Rally Islas Canarias kicked off under clear skies on Thursday evening with a ceremonial shakedown in Las Palmas, where drivers like Sami Pajari and Pepi Lauda tested their machines amid enthusiastic crowds packed into the stadium.
Friday’s opening leg set the tone for Toyota’s dominance as Sebastien Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais powered their GR Yaris Rally1 to the early lead right from SS1, edging out rivals by fractions of seconds on the smooth, high-speed mountain passes of Gran Canaria.
However, the morning loop was disrupted by cancellation of SS3 due to safety reasons after concerns over spectator vehicles near the route, but the reduction in mileage did not dull Ogier‘s momentum; he headed a top-five sweep for Toyota after the day with Elfyn Evans in second, Oliver Solberg third, Takamoto Katsuta fourth and Sami Pajari rounding out the quintet.
Saturday brought drama and unpredictability as morning rain slickened the asphalt, transforming the fast Gran Canaria roads into a treacherous chessboard.
Ogier’s lead was slashed to just 5.3 seconds after the slippery opening loop where Solberg piled on the pressure with blistering stage times, and the drier afternoon stages saw the Swedish driver reduce that deficit to 3.8 seconds heading to the final day.
Sunday’s finale unfolded as a high-stakes showdown under perfect weather with four stages left and no tire changes permitted, forcing crews to nurse worn rubber over the abrasive surfaces.
Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson struck first, trimming Ogier’s lead through the wet first pass, then closing to 2.2 seconds after two stages, before the SS17, Ingenio-Valsequillo 2 turned the race on its head.
Solberg pushed too optimistically into a right-hander crest and clipped an Armco barrier that ripped off his left front wheel, ending his charge unharmed but heartbroken.
With Oliver Solberg crashing out, Ogier breathed easier, powering through the final powerstage to win by 19.9 seconds over Elfyn Evans, who capitalized on the drama to snag second and reclaim the drivers’ championship lead by two points over Katsuta.
Sami Pajari finished third, 1m20s behind Ogier, marking his fourth straight podium and vaulting him ahead of Solberg in the standings by four points.
Takamoto Katsuta completed Toyota 1-2-3-4 lockout, while Adrien Fourmaux emerged as the leading Hyundai in fifth, beating teammate Thierry Neuville by 11.5 seconds in their intra-team duel despite a 10-second powerstage jump-start penalty.
Dani Sordo faded to seventh after leading Hyundai early, while M-Sport’s Josh McErlean impressed with season best eighth-place finish, two minutes clear of teammate Jon Armstrong in ninth after the Irishman’s double off-road woes.
WRC2 Rally Islas Canarias highlights: Yohan Rossel cruised to victory by 25.1 seconds for Lancia, outpacing Skoda duo of Alejandro Cachón and Eric Camilli in second and third, respectively, as Roberto Daprà and Léo Rossel wrapped up the top five.
READ MORE:
Thierry Neuville crash hands Takamoto Katsuta WRC Croatia Rally victory
