Elfyn Evans Welcomes Classic Asphalt Challenge As WRC Returns To Spain

Elfyn Evans heads into round four of the 2025 World Rally Championship with a commanding lead — but the Welshman insists he’s not changing a thing about his approach as the series arrives on the sinuous mountain roads of Gran Canaria.

With back-to-back victories in Sweden and Kenya under his belt, Evans holds a 36-point advantage at the top of the drivers' standings, while his Toyota Gazoo Racing squad enjoys a 26-point cushion in the manufacturers’ table. 

But despite the strong momentum, the leader remains firmly grounded ahead of the next stage which begins on Thursday, April 24.

“We’ve had a good run of rallies to start the season but it changes nothing really for me in terms of approach: we just want to go and have a good rally and achieve the best result possible,” Evans said, speaking ahead of what he describes as a welcome return to a more traditional tarmac test.

The Rally Islas Canarias, elevated this year from the FIA European Rally Championship to the WRC calendar, represents the first full asphalt event of the season and marks Spain’s return to the championship for the first time since 2022.

For Evans, it’s a style of rally he’s been craving.

“In terms of character, we can expect the stages to be generally very clean and quite twisty,” he explained. 

“The majority of asphalt rallies we’ve had in the championship over recent years have been more on the dirtier side and we’ve missed the variety of a proper racing-style rally like this."

READ MORE: Elfyn Evans Tames The Safari To Extend World Rally Championship Lead

With minimal opportunity for corner-cutting and consistently grippy roads — thanks to the volcanic rock surfaces — tyre strategy and rhythm will be key. Evans believes the setup levels the playing field.

“With very little cutting, road position shouldn’t have a huge bearing, so I don’t think it will be much of an advantage to be running first if at all; I suspect it should be similar conditions for everybody and a fair fight.”

Joining Evans in the Toyota line-up are Sébastien Ogier — returning to action for the first time since his Monte Carlo victory — and Kalle Rovanperä, with all three nominated for manufacturers’ points. 

Takamoto Katsuta and WRC2 graduate Sami Pajari round out a five-strong GR YARIS Rally1 attack, with Pajari the only one of the group to have previously competed on the island.

Gran Canaria’s stages are notoriously narrow and demanding, winding up and down steep terrain with sheer drops or rocky banks a constant threat. With Las Palmas hosting the rally HQ and service park, the action loops out to all corners of the island, including a unique super special on Saturday that partially unfolds inside a basketball arena.

Sunday’s finale near the resort town of Maspalomas will decide the podium, as the WRC’s asphalt specialists battle it out on high-grip but tyre-taxing roads.

Alongside the Rally1 action, a strong contingent of GR Yaris Rally2 entries will bolster Toyota’s presence in WRC2, including Spanish champion Alejandro Cachón, rising French talent Mathieu Franceschi, and Fabio Schwarz — son of ex-Toyota star Armin Schwarz.

Toyota’s WRC Challenge Program drivers Yuki Yamamoto and Hikaru Kogure are also in the mix, as are home hopeful Carlos Moreno and Paraguayan contender Diego Domínguez. 

Current WRC2 leader Oliver Solberg and Estonian charger Georg Linnamäe are present but not nominated for points on this occasion.

But as the championship shifts to a more traditional road-racing flavour, all eyes will be on Evans — the man in form and seemingly at ease with the challenges ahead.