Hayden Paddon and John Kennard are the first leaders of the 47th Rally Islas Canarias after setting the reference time in the Super Special Stage 'Las Palmas de Gran Canaria'. Thousands of fans witnessed how the New Zealanders led their Hyundai i20 N Rally2 to the most sought-after position in the ranking. The crowd in the grandstand of the Gran Canaria Arena was excited with the donuts that each of the participant teams performed on the track of the stadium – the new part added to the route this year.

The holders of the best time will benefit on Friday from a four-tenths of a second advantage over the Italians Andrea Nucita-Rudy Pollet (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), who occupy the second position. The Austrians Simon Wagner-Gerald Winter (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) complete the provisional podium in the second session that also counts for the FIA European Rally Championship. They are seven-tenths of a second away from the 35th Rally Serras de Fafe e Felguieras.

The Czechs Filip Mares-Radovan Bucha (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) placed fourth whereas Surhayen Pernía-Alba Sánchez top the list of the Spanish teams. The Hyundai i20 N Rally2 couple lead the Spanish Rally Super-Championship, a competition in which they remain ahead of their brand fellows Jan Solans-Rodrigo Sanjuán and the current champions of the FIA ERC, Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2).

In the lower categories of the continental competition, the Britons Jon Armstrong-Cameron Fair (Ford Fiesta Rally4) hold a lonely leadership in ERC3. The Transalpine team set up by Roberto Daprà-Luca Giuglemetti (Peugeot 208 Rally4) took the lead in the division ERC4.

The Friday itinerary includes two rounds through the Super Special 'Gáldar' (14,95 km), 'Tejeda' (10.41 km) and ‘Santa Lucía’ (19.00 km). The Frenchmen Yoann Bonato-Benjamin Boulloud will be in charge of opening the road with their Citroën C3 Rally2 and leave the service area within the Estadio de Gran Canaria at quarter past nine in the morning. All these stages can be followed live via Rally.TV, the official channel of the FIA European Rally Championship.