2026 marks the 50th anniversary of Rally Islas Canarias
The 2026 World Rally Championship is going to return to Gran Canaria for its 50th anniversary. The event is taking place from April 23rd to 26th, and is said to include technically difficult asphalt stages. Not only does this help make things more interesting for fans, it also makes things more interesting for drivers.
There are going to be 18 special stages covering 300 km, with a finale taking place at BP Ultimate - Circuito Islas Canarias. What makes the event so successful year after year, isn’t just the challenging roads. It’s the fact that it combines technical challenges with stunning scenery and an electric atmosphere, which has helped to put rally racing on the map, all across the world.
Racing has never been more popular, either, which is helping the event to gain even more coverage as a result of new fans. Brad Pitt’s portrayal of his character in F1 helped to bring the sport of racing to a worldwide audience, with racing podcasts by Dakar Rally Daily proving to be a favourite with fans.
Dinner with Racers also gives unique insight into racing, featuring interviews with experienced enthusiasts. We are also seeing racing as a whole have an impact on other verticals, including bingo. Themed online bingo rooms, which include Turbo Rooms, feature cars with racing aesthetics. Themed elements like Final Furlong and Record Breaker. Rooms like this offer suspenseful gameplay that mirrors the pacing of a real race, showing that the influence of racing is felt far and wide, with the result set to benefit events like Rally Islas Canarias significantly.
Weather Adds Another Element of Complexity
The weather also helps add another element of complexity. Unlike the muddy lanes in Europe, the roads here are smooth. This means drivers will have to adapt their style so that it suits more circuit races overall. You can find out how circuit races differ from rally racing at Capital Exotic. With that said, the technical challenge of driving in conditions like this is extreme, as the routes do contain a lot of hairpin bends, and the elevation changes mean there is no time for drivers to switch off.
It seems that for the 2026 series, tyre management is going to be a huge deal. The island is incredibly hot, and the high-lateral roads are going to force crews to not only think about speed, but also heat management to make sure that tyres don’t blow mid-race.
Even though the area is known for having a lot of sun exposure, the mountain stages may mean that people have to drive through thick fog and occasional rainy showers. Conditions like this not only make it hard to predict what’s ahead but also to determine how far the car can be pushed before succumbing to the treacherous road. With everything we know so far, 2026 could be the best event that the Rally Islas Canarias has seen to date.
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