After the World Rally Championship’s characteristically varied start to the 2026 season, taking in a trio of highly specialized events, we now embark on a short asphalt leg in April.
More straightforward? Maybe. But as the teams prepare for Croatia’s tricky roads next week, they also have one eye on the very different challenge of Rally Islas Canarias that follows immediately afterwards. The complication? The linked parts rule, where gearboxes and differentials must be carried over from Croatia to Spain.
Teams are forced to compromise on settings to suit events that are effectively on opposite ends of the asphalt spectrum. Croatia’s wide spectrum of weather conditions, variable grip and surface changes is an entirely different proposition to. Rally Islas Canarias two weeks later on April 23-26, featuring race track style roads at its heart.
All three Rally1 teams face the same issues caused by using linked parts at both events. But championship leader Elfyn Evans has already highlighted that planning for Spain while testing in Croatia creates extra complexity.
Race track nature of Spanish island roads are very different from abrasive, low-grip asphalt of Croatia
“The challenge now that we have is quite different Tarmac rallies coming back to back and trying to prepare for those rallies is quite a challenge,” admitted Evans.
“Today we’re here in Croatia. It’s quite wet and muddy conditions, so it could be representative for what’s to come in Croatia.
“But we also have to pick certain parts that link us on into Canaries, which of course is quite a different rally, and to do that is quite a challenge today.
“So we are having to think ahead, but in a way we’re guessing what we might need in a few weeks’ time in Canaries.”
But testing in Spain is no guarantee for getting differential settings right for Gran Canaria either. Hyundai entered Theirry Neuville into Rally Sierra Morena last year but all three i20 N Rally1s ended up far off the pace during Rally Islas Canarias’ maiden WRC appearance.
Sealing transmission parts with the wrong setup can be costly in the Canary Islands, as Hyundai discovered last year
Hyundai later conceded that test event hadn’t been sufficiently representative and, with transmission parts sealed, couldn’t make the required setup changes to unlock more performance for the rest of the event. Adrien Fourmaux was less affected by Hyundai’s pace woes in Spain last year, having taken a sealed transmission with softer settings than Neuville and Ott Tänak.
Evans won in Croatia three years ago, and has twice been runner-up to team-mate Sébastien Ogier on the Adriatic coastal roads. With Ogier sitting out this year’s edition, Evans will be confident of his chances going into the event.
“It’s nice to be back in Croatia, but a lot of the rally will be new for this year,” cautioned the Welshman. “It’s moved its base from Zagreb to further down the coast.
“[There is] quite a lot of new stages this year that we’re going to have to write new notes. Of course, we know the challenge that comes with that. And, yes, it will be less known than it has been in the past.”
