Solberg heartbreak as Swede stops whilst Ogier leads Rally Islas Canarias
26th April 2026Toyota’s Oliver Solberg has suffered heartbreak on the penultimate stage of the World Rally Championship’s Rally Islas Canarias, amidst his fight against Sebastien Ogier.
Feature image credit: Jaanus Ree // Red Bull Content Pool
Sweden’s Solberg has retired from the WRCs Rally Islas Canarias on the penultimate stage of the event, bringing his fight for the rally lead against Ogier to an abrupt end.
The Swede was chasing after the defending world champion on Sunday, reducing the nine-time world champion’s lead from 3.8 seconds to 2.2 seconds by the end of SS16.
However, it all unravelled on the second-to-last stage, SS17 (Ingenio – Telde – Valsequillo 2). Reportedly, Solberg had run wide at a right-hand corner and clipped a barrier.
The subsequent damage to his Rally1 Yaris was too much for the Swede’s car to continue, pulling off to the side of the road to retire.
It marks the third consecutive retirement for the Toyota driver, having retired from Safari Rally Kenya, with mechanical problems, and crashed out of Croatia Rally, last time out.
Solberg had been leading the Super Sunday standings, but now Ogier takes over the top spot.
Additionally, Ogier will now remain on top of the overall standings with a comfortable gap over second place, Elfyn Evans, who sits 24.3 seconds adrift of the Frenchman’s time.
Whilst Solberg’s retirement puts an end to Toyota’s dominant top-five performance across the weekend, it also promotes Sami Pajari into the final podium position. The Finnish driver is now on course to secure his fourth consecutive podium finish of the 2026 season.
Who sits where ahead of Rally Islas Canarias Wolf Power Stage?
- Sebastien Ogier, Toyota – 2hrs, 36m 10.6s
- Elfyn Evans, Toyota +24.3s
- Sami Pajari, Toyota +1m 40.6s
- Takamoto Katsuta, Toyota +1m 52.9s
- Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai +3m 17.7s
- Thierry Neuville, Hyundai +3m 38.9s
- Daniel Sordo, Hyundai +3m 53.8s
- Joshua McErlean, M-Sport Ford +5m 33.6s
- Yohan Rossel, Lancia (WRC2) +6m 56.8s
- Alejandro Cachon, Toyota (WRC2) +7m 19.8s
- Leo Rossel, Citreon (WRC2) +7m 36.4s
- Jon Armstrong, M-Sport Ford +7m 43.2s
Read more WRC here:
- Oliver Solberg tightens gap on Sebastien Ogier at WRC Rally Islas Canarias
- Jon Armstrong goes off the road at Rally Islas Canarias
- Sebastien Ogier leads Toyota quintet after Rally Islas Canarias Saturday morning
- Sebastien Ogier holds overnight lead after day two of WRC Rally Islas Canarias
- Sebastien Ogier tops morning loop of WRC Rally Islas Canarias day 2
- WRC Rally Islas Canarias: SS3 cancelled due to spectator cars
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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.
