Saturday, 14th May 2022.

Nil Solans and Marc Martí (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) have finished the work they had started two years ago and managed to win the Rally Islas Canarias. If back then a double puncture took away a well-deserved prize from them, this time, in the 46th edition, the champions of the JWRC 2017 have been climbing positions throughout the two legs in order to obtain this valuable victory. Furthermore this result settles them as contenders for the title of the FIA European Rally Championship, of which the one held in Gran Canaria was the third of the eight races of the season 2022.

Solans and Martí got into that first position after the Canarians Luis Monzón and José Carlos Déniz had to drop out as a result of a double puncture in the ninth stage during the first loop through Arucas. This is the second victory of the season of the ARVidal Racing team, who had already won the Rally Serras de Fafe e Felgueiras, which opened the ERC calendar, and the first one on tarmac.

Not that far away from the winning couple, the fight for the second position has been intense. Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud (Citroën C3 Rally2) had to withstand the attacks of Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo). The couple of the MRF Tyres Team, who were fighting for the lead against Solans and Martí, made the best out of their Skoda trying to take the second place away from the Frenchmen. Llarena managed to tie on time and it was the one achieved in the special stage 2 on Friday which broke the tie and gave the advantage to the new leader of the FIA ERC from Burgos. Bonato was third.

Enrique Cruz and Yeray Mujica (Ford Fiesta Rally2) tried by all means to get onto the podium, but the speed imposed by the leading trio made that impossible.

In any way, the DISA Copi Sport team achieved their best international result as fourth classified, besides collecting a new victory in the Regional Rally Championship on Tarmac.

Throughout the day, Grzegorz Grzyb and Kamil Kozdron had an accident in the special stage 9, Pep Bassas-Áxel Coronado achieved the fifth overall position with their Skoda Fabia R5 ahead of Simone Campedelli-Tania Canton (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo). Javier Pardo-Adrián Pérez had to slow down as the had problems with the motor of their Skoda, dropping down to the eight position.

In the different categories, Emmanuel Guigou-Kevin Bronner reached the top position in the FIA RGT Cup, driving in addition their A110 to the seventh overall position of the Rally Islas Canarias. The ERC Junior was the territory of the Frenchmen Laurent Pellier-Marine Pelamourgues and their Corsa Rally4 del ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team, category in which the Spaniards Óscar Palomo-Javier Moreno (Peugeot 208 Rally4) were third. Pellier also won the ERC4 category ahead of his countrymen Anthony Fotia-Arnaud Noël (Renault Clio Rally4) and the Italians Andrea Mabellini-Virginia Lenzi (Renault Clio Rally4). In the ERC Open Joan Vinyes-Jordi Mercader have strengthen their leadership with another victory, whereas the Argentinians Paulo Soria-Marcelo der Ohannesian won ahead of Sergio Fuentes and his co-driver Alain Peña in the Clio Trophy by Toksport.

Throughout both legs, the 46th Rally Islas Canarias edition has have four leaders: Simon Wagner, Efrén Llarena, Luis Monzón and Nil Solans.