The event that is held on the island of Gran Canaria will be held between May 4 and 6 of next year. For the event organized by Todo Sport, it will be the second hand of WRC Promoter, a firm that has taken over the reins of the European championship since the current 2022 season. The Rally Islas Canarias and the championship promoter have signed a new agreement for the next two seasons.

The FIA ​​World Council has confirmed the calendar of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship (FIA ERC) for the 2023 season. This new chapter in the context of the continental event will again feature the Rally Islas Canarias, which for the eighth consecutive edition -which adds to which it celebrated since 1982- will continue to be part of the European championship, at least, until 2024, after signing a new agreement for two seasons.

In 2023, the appointment is set between May 4 and 6. It will be the second of an FIA European Rally Championship that will add new rallies. The 47th Rally Islas Canarias will be the first stop on tarmac, a situation that mirrors recent chapters of the European calendar. Undoubtedly, an added value for those international teams that find themselves like a fish in water on that surface.

The FIA ​​ERC 2023 will start, as in previous years, in Portugal. The Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras Rally (March 11 to 12) will kick off, a witness that the Rally Islas Canarias will take at the beginning of May. The event that takes place in Gran Canaria will yield it to another classic of the Old Continent championship, the Rally of Poland (20 to 21 May). The Liepaja Rally will celebrate the equator during the first week of July (July 7-8), the same month in which the Rally of Scandinavian will debut in the FIA ​​European Rally Championship (July 7-8). From there, the tarmac will be the protagonist until the final flag. The Rally di Roma Capitale (July 29-30) will be the first of the last three on that surface, completing the calendar the Barum Czech Rally Zlín (August 19-20) and a Hungary Rally (October 7-8), who returns to the FIA ​​ERC. 

"Since the last edition ended, we started working on the next one," admits Germán Morales. “The understanding with WRC Promoter, who took the reins of the event in 2022, is very good. They were delighted with what they saw at this year's rally and for a few weeks we knew that our continuity was assured”, explains the president of the Organizing Committee. "It is an award for those who collaborated in 2022, and also for the fans, who, thanks to their collaboration, the rally was a success in terms of safety", underlines the person in charge of the organization. "Now it's time to continue working towards a 2023 that promises great moments in the FIA ​​ERC", concludes Morales. The first edition of the Rally Islas Canarias, then Rally El Corte Inglés, in the European Championship, was held in 1982, that is, five years after its first chapter. In 1995 it peaked in the European of that stage, while since 2013 -except for two editions- it has been an immovable part of the new generation of rallies that take place throughout Europe.

The organising committee of Rally Islas Canarias is in advanced negotiations with WRC Promoter and is closing in on an agreement which would see the Gran Canaria event remain in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) for the next two seasons.

 With Spaniards Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández crowned champions, the ERC is now looking to the future.

 WRC Promoter, which owns the commercial rights to the ERC as well as the WRC, is in full negotiations with the organisers of different events and among them is Rally Islas Canarias, which in 2023 will celebrate its 47th edition.

 The Rally Islas Canarias organising committee has been in discussions with WRC Promoter over recent months and is close to guaranteeing the event’s place in the championship for 2023 and 2024.

 Impressive safety advances were made for this year’s fixture which took place in early May, with those improvements leading to the withdrawal of the FIA yellow card.

 WRC Promoter was impressed by the high levels of organisation, the spectacular nature of the stages and the landscapes of the island of Gran Canaria as well as the warmth contributed by thousands of passionate fans.

 The Government of the Canary Islands, the Council of Gran Canaria and the City Hall of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria are aware of these negotiations, which are expected to lead to a renewal agreement in the coming weeks.

 Institutions, sponsors and the organising committee itself have been very satisfied with the television coverage that WRC Promoter has provided in this new stage of the championship and each looks forward to the future with great enthusiasm.

First victory of the Spanish couple in Gran Canaria and second of the FIA European Rally Championship 2022 so far. Impressive final in the ‘Power Stage’ of San Mateo with Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández after being tied on time in the final classification with Yoann Bonato-Benjamin Boulloud. Enrique Cruz-Yeray Mujica are the best classified Canarian team in fourth overall position.

The puncture of Luis Monzón-José Carlos Déniz has lead to a change in the head oft this third race of the FIA European Rally Championship only three stages away from the end. The champions of Mundo Junior 2017 have settled their Volkswagen at the top, ahead of the Citroën from Bonato-Boulloud and the Skoda from Llarena-Fernández.

Seven stages later, there is still nothing certain. The Canarian team, which holds the lead in the opening day of the third race of the FIA European Rally Championship, finished with a head-start of 8.4’’ over Nil Solans-Marc Martí. Yoann Bonato-Benjamin Boulloud are third at 12,1’’.

Having achieved two of the three best times in the play, the Canarian team finished the first four stages of the Rally Islas Canarias with a head-start of 8.9’’ over the Frenchmen Yoann Bonato-Benjamin Boulloud. The accident of Simon Wagner-Gerald Winter – first leaders of the race – caused the neutralization of the stage Santa Lucía.

The current Austrian champions turned out to be the most skilled team, completing the one and a half kilometres ‘Las Palmas de Gran Canaria-DISA’ special stage, which has officially opened the 46th edition of this rally – the third round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Nil Solans-Marc Martí became the best Spanish team qualified having settled a third position.

The Skoda driver from Gran Canaria and his co-driver José Carlos Déniz finished half a second ahead of Simone Campedelli-Tani Canton and their team mates Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández. Enrique Cruz-Yeray Mujica achieved a fourth position in this stage of 3.09 kilometres, finishing up an impressive performance of the Canarian teams.

After a long Wednesday in which the teams have been focused on recognizing each and every special stage of this European race edition, it will be time for the first official contact with the pavement in Gran Canaria. The free practice, the qualifying stage and the super special stage ‘Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – DISA’ will be the highlights of next 12th May.

The 46th Rally Islas Canarias faces its first recce day

After the tests held in Artenara and other places on the island of Gran Canaria, such as Tejeda and Valsequillo, the teams participating in this third round of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship will begin to recognize the stages of this edition. It will be a long day that will exceed 12 hours.

The preparations, at least in the rally cars, have come to an end. Now it is the turn of the participants to visit each of the stages scheduled for the 46th Rally Islas Canarias, recognitions that will be fundamental in this edition of the Gran Canaria event. This Tuesday has served for the fans to open their mouths. On the other hand, the organization has fit like a glove to put into practice the safety device that will be used between May 12 and 14 in each of the 13 special stages that this appointment of the FIA ​​European Rally Championship.

Artenara has hosted the 'Tuesday Test', a day in which most of the great protagonists of this edition have finalized details on their vehicles with the aim of starting on Thursday with the maximum guarantees. Valsequillo over two days, and also Tejeda, have had activity. And starting this Wednesday, from 7:30 a.m., the teams will launch into the stages to take notes on each one of them. In this way, they will visit the routes of Valsequillo, Santa Lucía, Tejeda, Moya-Valleseco, Arucas and San Mateo. That will be until 8:30 p.m., because from then on, and until 10:00 p.m., it will be the turn of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria super special stage, a track that runs around the Estadio de Gran Canaria and the Gran Canaria Arena and which will kick off this edition of the Rally Islas Canarias.