Day one in Gran Canaria served up a masterclass in tarmac domination – and Toyota Gazoo Racing delivered in style.
Kalle Rovanperä and co-driver Jonne Halttunen were unstoppable, completing a clean sweep of all stage wins and wrapping up the day with a commanding 26.8-second lead. The reigning champions looked at home on the island’s fast yet technical roads, adapting with surgical precision to the changing conditions.
Toyota didn’t just lead – they owned the leaderboard, sweeping positions 1 through 5, underlining their asphalt supremacy.
“It feels quite good. It’s surprisingly nice to have this kind of tarmac rally — we haven’t had it in a long time… Now hopefully we know for tomorrow what to do with the car. We tested some small things here, so it should be quite okay.”
— Kalle Rovanperä
In contrast, Hyundai Shell Mobis WRT had a rocky start. Despite strong efforts, Thierry Neuville and Ott Tänak couldn’t crack Toyota’s pace. But perhaps the most telling moment came from Adrien Fourmaux, whose frustration was clear:
💬 “Nothing to say. We are just slow. We are running out of ideas, actually. So… I’m enjoying driving. The stages are beautiful. The island is beautiful. But just frustrated with the time.”
— Adrien Fourmaux
As the 18-stage, 301km challenge continues, the big question remains:
Can anyone catch Toyota? Or is this Kalle’s rally to lose?
Stay locked for Day 2 coverage and behind-the-scenes insights at rallyfanatics.com.
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