Sebastien Ogier wins Rally Islas Canarias for Toyota

The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship has two things going for it: One is that rally onboards in these places are always 100% worth watching in full, no matter how the performance compares to anyone else. This is the highest level of motorsport for people who just enjoy the art of driving, and that makes it worthwhile no matter what.

The other is that at least Toyota is stacked with unbelievable drivers, because the only competition they have in this championship right now is amongst themselves.

Canarias is a pavement rally with endless awesome views, so it’s a good place to jump in for people who like road racing. That also means they’re pushing their asses off, and there were some pretty serious over-the-limit moments in this event. Indeed, it was decided by one. The old champ, Seb Ogier, was in classic form, but young Oliver Solberg was coming for him, trying to revive the miracle season it looked like he would have early on. On the penultimate stage, Solberg was in the barrier, and that sealed it for Ogier.

Previous Toyota hot-streak driver Takamoto Katsuta won the populist superspecial stage in the Gran Canaria football stadium, and I have to say, I could have done without that. Obviously the point was to make it possible for local folks to watch rally cars burn more rubber than they’d be able to see standing on one bluff all day to see each car blast by once. It wasn’t great TV, though, compared to actual rallying, and the drivers were all saying the one weird little “jump” in the stadium track nearly blew their backs out. They kind of sounded like 2026 Formula 1 drivers: “That was terrible, but hopefully the fans liked it.”