The 48th edition of the Rally Islas Canarias kicks off tonight from Mesa y López Avenue in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, a venue it returns to after several decades. Since the early morning, the teams have been reconnoitering the bulk of the special stages, while their respective machines undergo technical scrutineering.

To guarantee the correct development of the Gran Canaria event, the collaboration of the fans and all the people involved with the competition is essential. As a novelty for this year's edition, the roads along which the different special stages will run will not open between the first and second runs. Other important points, respect for the environment and the advice of the route marshals.

Around 40 teams will work tomorrow in the official tests of the 48 Rally Islas Canarias that will take place this Tuesday, April 30. As in recent years, Artenara will host the bulk of the teams that will finalize details just a few days before the start of the Gran Canaria test. That same day, at night, will the recce of 'Las Palmas de Gran Canaria' the super special stage.

Colin McRae's nephew will compete in the Gran Canaria event for the first time. His grandfather Jimmy (1986 and 1992) and his father Alister (1993) did it before. With near to fifteen teams entered in the Junior ERC, only the Czech Daniel Polásek knows about the Rally Islas Canarias after having competed in 2022.

The new Hyundai Canarias driver returns to compete in the Rally Islas Canarias. For the first time at the wheel of an i20 N Rally2, the two-time continental champion will have the chance to equal the record of five wins held by the Spaniard. Along with Yoann Bonato and Luis Monzón, they are the three drivers on the entry list who know what it means to win in this event.

The current champion of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship (ERC) opens an official entry list that has a total of 33 vehicles in the Rally2 category. The tenors of the continental competition, as well as those of the Spanish Rally Super Championship (S-CER) and those of the Canary Islands Asphalt Rallies Championship (CCRA), are already discounting the days to compete on the abrasive asphalt roads of the island of Gran Canaria.

Nearly 100 teams have entered for an event that will be held from May 2 to 4 on the island of Gran Canaria. The current European champion, Hayden Paddon; the current leader after the meeting in Hungary, Simone Tempestini; the last winner of the rally, Yoann Bonato; the current S-CER champion, José Antonio Suárez; the last regional champion, Miguel Suárez, as well as this season's leader, Yeray Lemes, are among those registered.

Next Tuesday, April 16, at 8:00 p.m., the deadline to register for this second round of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship will end, as well as the third round of the Spanish Superchampionship. During these last few days, the bulk of the FIA ​​ERC teams have intensified contacts with the organization.

The French driver, five-time champion in his country, achieved victory last year alongside Benjamin Boulloud and on a Citroën C3 Rally2. In 2024 they will repeat in a rally in which they also got on the podium in 2020 and 2022. Ekaterina Stratieva and Cristiana Oprea are also entered with their respective vehicles in the Rally4 category.

The FIA World Rally Championship is set return to Spain next season to take on the fast-paced asphalt roads of the Canary Islands, it was announced today, Monday, 11 March.