Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain: Škoda drivers want to improve their WRC2 overall position

› On the asphalt stages of the fifth round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship, ten private Škoda crews are competing for WRC2 points
› As fourth and fifth in the WRC2 overall standings, Toksport WRT’s Robert Virves and Roberto Daprà of Delta Rally Team are the top-seed Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 drivers
› Former WRC2 Champion Emil Lindholm as well as tarmac specialists Eric Camilli and Jan Solans also rely on the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2

Mladá Boleslav, 22 April 2026 – The FIA World Rally Championship heads into its second tarmac event in only two weeks. However, the stages of Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain (23-26 April 2026) are expected to be much smoother and cleaner than the tracks of the recent Croatia Rally. The need for a highly precise driving style usually favours the drivers from Southern Europe. At least four Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 crews travel to the island of Gran Canaria with a podium position as a realistic goal.

Four rounds into the WRC2 season, Robert Virves of customer team Toksport WRT holds the fourth position in the category’s overall standings. The 25-year-old and co-driver Jakko Viilo together won WRC2 at the Safari Rally Kenya, arguably the toughest gravel event of the year. Robert Virves will use the trip to the Canary Islands mainly to improve his tarmac driving skills. Therefore, the Estonians are not scoring points in the WRC2 Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ classifications, but for the WRC2 Team’s championship only.

On the other hand, fifth-placed overall Roberto Daprà is chasing more WRC2 points. The
24-year-old Italian shares a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Delta Rally Team with co-driver Luca Guglielmetti. At last year’s Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain, they achieved a seventh place in WRC2. This time around, they target an even better position. Same counts for Emil Lindholm, who last year reached the finish as sixth in WRC2. The former WRC2 Champion from Finland, who listens to the pace notes of Brazilian Gabriel Morales, also competes for team Toksport WRT.

From coastal roads to the hill-climb resembling stages of the interior, Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain needs absolute precision from the competitors. The winding and narrow roads of Gran Canaria offer extremely high grip levels due to their abrasive, volcanic asphalt. They are ideally suited to the clean driving style Southern Europeans are known for. Among them are French crew Eric Camilli/Thibault De La Haye (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of Eurosol Racing Team Hungary) and Giovanni Trentin/Pietro Elia Ometto from Italy (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of team MT Racing). Jan Solans and co-driver Rodrigo Sanjuán (Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 of team PH.Ph) fly the Spanish flag.

A “dark horse” in this equation is Alexey Lukyanuk. The 45-year-old former FIA European Rally Champion returns to the world series after a hiatus of five years. He has won the Canary Islands event four times when it was part of the FIA European Rally Championship. After three years, he is back at the wheel of a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, this time listening to co-driver Yuriy Kulikov. Another driver with the main goal to improve his tarmac driving skills is Mille Johansson from Sweden. He shares a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 with Johan Grönvall, who guided him to last year’s FIA Junior World Rally Champion title. Also on the starting line as reigning champions are Miguel Granados and co-driver Marc Martí. The Mexican-Spanish Škoda crew plans to defend their titles as WRC Masters Cup winners. In total, ten Škoda crews are on the WRC2 entry list of Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain.

The Rally Islas Canarias – Rally of Spain features 18 special stages, covering 322.61 kilometres. On Thursday (23 April), a spectacular show stage at the Circuito Islas Canarias kicks off proceedings. 17 proper stages – the longest running for 28.90 kilometres – follow on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The winners will celebrate on the podium on Sunday afternoon (2h45 local).

Did you know, that…

...that the event celebrates its Golden Jubilee? First run in 1977, it was part of the FIA European Rally Championship for decades before being promoted to FIA World Rally Championship status in 2025.

...the rally returns to the Circuito Islas Canarias, where the WRC’s stars will compete side-by-side in a stadium-style showdown reminiscent of the legendary „Race of Champions“?

…the weather often makes tyre choice extremely difficult, as the coast may be basking in the sun, while the high-altitude mountain stages are frequently hit by unexpected showers?

Standings WRC2/Drivers (after 4 of 14 events)
1 Léo Rossel (FRA), Citroën, 42 points
2 Roope Korhonen (FIN), Toyota, 35 points
3 Yohan Rossel (FRA), Lancia, 27 points
4 Robert Virves (EST), Škoda, 25 points
5 Roberto Daprà (ITA), Škoda, 25 points

Standings WRC2/Teams (after 4 of 14 events)
1 Lancia Corse HF, Lancia, 84 Points
2 Toksport WRT, Škoda, 67 points
3 M-Sport Ford World Rally Team, Ford, 45 Points

2026 FIA World Rally Championship

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