The FIA World Rally Championship is scheduled to return to Spain in the upcoming seasons to tackle the high-speed paved roads of the Canary Islands in 2025 and 2026. Following the footsteps of Tet Rally Latvia and ORLEN 80th Rally Poland, both of which have utilized the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) to refine their events before joining the WRC in 2024, Rally Islas Canarias will transition from the ERC to the WRC in 2025 and 2026.
Having first been run in 1977, Rally Islas Canarias has been a consistent part of the ERC since 2016 and will commemorate its 50th edition in 2026. The plan is for the rally to be exclusively held on Gran Canaria in 2025, with an expansion to include other islands for its 50th anniversary. The announcement was made on Monday in front of media on Gran Canaria, with the presence of WRC Promoter, Todo Sport, Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo, President of the Island Council of Gran Canaria Antonio Morales, and FIA World Motor Sport Council Member and Real Federación Española de Automovilismo (RFEDA) President Manuel Aviñó.
Germán Morales, CEO of the event promoter Club Deportivo Todo Sport, expressed his satisfaction with bringing the Rally Islas Canarias to the WRC after years of hard work. He described it as a goal desired by multiple generations and now, with the collaboration of WRC Promoter, it has become achievable. Jona Siebel, WRC Promoter Managing Director, expressed confidence in the rally management team’s ability to organize the rally on the WRC calendar next year after witnessing their capabilities in the European Rally Championship.
The return of Spain to the WRC calendar is highly anticipated, and the successful pathway for ERC events to join the WRC is evident as Rally Islas Canarias follows in the footsteps of Latvia and Poland in 2024. The move from the ERC to the WRC calendar will also attract a significant number of fans who will travel to the popular European vacation spot, combining thrilling action on the fast-paced stages with the start of their summer.
The rally guarantees smooth and winding asphalt surfaces that traverse the volcanic inland areas. While coastal temperatures provide favorable beach weather throughout the year, drivers must be prepared for unpredictable weather conditions as they navigate through the mountainous interiors of the islands. The WRC last visited Spain in 2022, with the rally being based in the beachside resort of Salou in Catalonia.