The idyll between Alexey Lukyanuk-Alexey Arnautov (Citroën C3 Rally2) and the roads of the island Gran Canaria is on again. The Russian team completed a perfect 45th edition of the Rally Islas Canarias, the last race of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), having achieved most of the scratches of the 17 special stages held, what gave them a final advance of 52.3 seconds.

Having won in a row the editions 2016, 2017 and 2018 of this race, the Sainteloc Junior Team has already gathered 4 absolute victories, remaining just one victory away from the five achieved by Carlos Sainz between 1985 and 1989, the first three with Antonio Boto and the next two with Luis Moya as co-driver.

Without nothing to do in the face of the supremacy of the two times European champions (2017 and 2018), Efrén Llarena and Sara Fernández (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) were very much focused on achieving their goal in this rally: to win the Drivers Sub-Championship and the Co-Drivers Title. And they succeeded as they placed themselves on a tight and settled 2nd position in an impeccable final stage, holding back the attacks of their direct opponents in the achievement of that goal: Miko Marczyk-Szymon Gospodarczyk (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), who managed to climb up into the final third place throughout the Rally, remaining 7.2'' behind the Spaniards.

Simone Campedelli-Tania Canton (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) has been another team with a very strong performance fighting for the 4th position during the second leg. Enrique Cruz and Yeray Mujica (Ford Fiesta Rally2), placed 5th, rather focused on achieving the Regional Title, becoming the best Canarian team qualified in this edition of the Rally Islas Canarias.

Iván Ares-David Vázquez (Hyundai i20 R5) made the 6th position ahead of Surhayén Pernía-Alba Sánchez (Hyundai i20 R5), who were set back due to a flat tire and the break down of an anti-roll bar in the special stage 10. Nil Solans-Marc Martí were steady on their way up throughout this leg until a crash pulled them down from the top positions in the second-to-last stage.

Luis Monzón-José Carlos Déniz (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) settled the 8th final position with Jan Solans-Rodrigo Sanjuán (Citroën C3 Rally2) placed 9th and Yeray Lemes-Rogelio Peñate – with the new Hyundai i20 N Rally2 – completing the international ‘top ten’ of this Rally Islas Canarias edition.

Despite their trouble with the turbocharger on Friday, Javier Pardo and Adrián Pérez (Suzuki Swift R4LLY S) ended up winning the category ERC2 and moreover having won all races. Although at the expense of their team mates Joan Vinyes-Jordi Mercader, who pulled out in the second-to-last stage with a break down of the gearbox. Carlos David García from La Palma and Nazer Ghuneim from Tenerife (Fiat 124 Abarth RGT) placed 2nd in this category and first in the Abarth Rally Cup.

Anthony Fotia-Arnaud Dunand (Renault Clio Rally4) won the ERC3 after having won the round against the Finns Sami Pajari-Marko Salminen (Ford Fiesta Rally4) and their fellow countrymen Jean-Baptiste Franceschi-Anthony Gorguilo (Renault Clio Rally4). In the ERC3, behind Fotia and Pajari, the Spaniards Pep Bassas-Áxel Coronado (Peugeot 208 Rally4) climbed to the podium of the category. Without any rivals in the ERC Junior, Ken Torn and Kauri Pannas (Ford Fiesta Rally3) finished the Rally with no difficulty.

In the Spanish Super Rally Championship (S-CER), Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo) also led from start to finish the Rally Islas Canarias and came out winners ahead of Enrique Cruz-Yeray Mujica (Ford Fiesta Rally2) and Iván Ares-David Vázquez (Hyundai i20 R5). In the Regional, Enrique Cruz and Yeray Mujica achieved their 5th victory of the season and therewith a new title as Champions of the Canary Islands in Rallies on tarmac. Luis Monzón-José Carlos Déniz (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), their competitor in the fight for the Championship, and Yeray Lemes-Rogelio Peñate (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) completed this regional podium.