ROVANPERÄ SPEARHEADS 1-2-3-4 FINISH FOR TOYOTA GAZOO RACING

Kalle Rovanperä has claimed an emphatic victory at the head of an outstanding 1-2-3-4 finish for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team at Rally Islas Canarias. The smooth and winding stages required ultimate confidence and performance and the GR YARIS Rally1 proved up to the task, never being headed in the stage times across the 18 stages. Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen won finish to return to the top step of the podium for the first time since Rally Chile last October.

He sealed the win by 53.5 seconds after also setting the best time in the rally-ending Power Stage and topping the Super Sunday classification to score a maximum of 35 points. With his 16th career victory, Rovanperä now stands alone as the most successful driver for Toyota in the WRC, having previously been tied with Sébastien Ogier and Carlos Sainz on 15 wins and two drivers’ titles with the brand.

Ogier and co-driver Vincent Landais made a strong return to action for the first time since their win at January’s Rallye Monte-Carlo. After finally getting the better of Rovanperä in the penultimate stage, he secured second overall and was second fastest in the Power Stage and Super Sunday.

Elfyn Evans and co-driver Scott Martin completed the podium – their fourth top-three finish from as many rounds so far this season – and also came third in the Power Stage and Super Sunday. Those results increase Evans’ drivers’ championship lead to 43 points with Rovanperä now up into second.

Takamoto Katsuta and his co-driver Aaron Johnston completed the top-four sweep: the third time that TGR-WRT has achieved such a result after doing so at Safari Rally Kenya in both 2022 and 2023. With a third maximum score of 60 manufacturers’ points from four events, the team’s championship lead increased to 51.

The next popular Rally de Portugal (May 15-18) is based in Matosinhos near Porto in the north of the country, and features classic stages on sandy and rocky gravel roads.

Please read the details on the team’s official web site: