Sebastien Ogier aiming for Rally Islas Canarias victory to go ‘one better’ than last year
22nd April 2026Toyota’s Sebastien Ogier is aiming for the top spot of the podium as the defending world champion returns to the line-up for the upcoming Rally Islas Canarias.
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool
The defending world champion is set to return to the Toyota entry list this weekend for the upcoming Rally Islas Canarias after missing out on the Croatian rally last time out. And he is already targeting the top spot on the podium this weekend.
Spain’s Rally Islas Canarias will mark the third outing for the nine-time world champion as he continues to work through his part-time schedule with the team, having already competed in Rally Monte Carlo and Safari Rally Kenya in both January and March this year.
Ogier competed at the event last year in the event’s WRC debut, but the nine-time world champion will start further down the field when the action gets underway, as he currently sits sixth overall in the drivers’ standings. However, he is looking forward to competing in Gran Canaria with a ‘level playing field’ for the competitors, thanks to the road conditions.
Ahead of the upcoming event, Ogier said:
“It was fun to do Rally Islas Canarias for the first time last year and I’m looking forward to going back. It’s nice to have some circuit-style stages back on the calendar, and reminds me a bit of the roads we used to drive in Catalunya.
“The road conditions remain pretty consistent and offer a more level playing field for everyone.”
Last season, Ogier missed out on victory at the event, playing second fiddle by just under a minute to the rally winner, Kalle Rovanpera, who went on to secure his first win of the season before winning two more rallies across the year.
The French world champion is still searching for his first win of the season after finishing third in Monte and retiring mid-event in Kenya, recovering to 11th overall.
However, the defending world champion will still have to compete with the likes of Elfyn Evans, who will be looking to bounce back from two consecutive knocks to his consistency. The Welshman suffered heavy suspension damage, retiring from the Safari Rally Kenya, and crashed out in Croatia last time out.
Despite that, the world champion is hoping a test on Spanish roads this week will be enough to get him back up to speed and into a rhythm ahead of the event.
“You need to have a fast car which gives you confidence to drive on the limit, and we could work on that in our test on Spanish roads this week, which was a good chance to get back in the rhythm after a short break,” Ogier continued.
“Hopefully we can be in the fight for victory and go one better than our second-place last year.”
Read more WRC here:
- Hyundai to reset and refocus for WRC Rally Islas Canarias after Croatia heartbreak
- Rally Islas Canarias: The full WRC stage guide and times
- Katsuta jokes to get ‘tips’ from Rovanpera ahead of WRC Rally Islas Canarias
- Rally Islas Canarias Weather 2026: Full WRC Weekend Forecast
- Takamoto Katsuta takes back-to-back wins with surprise Croatia Rally victory
- Thierry Neuville maintains lead with Power Stage separating Croatia victory
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
