IRC Canarias preview : The competitors

Juho Hänninen might top the IRC drivers’ standings after three events but the Finn is the first to admit that preserving his title advantage will be a tall order beyond Rally Islas Canarias.

Hänninen, from Finland, is a famed gravel specialist and concedes that he won’t have the pace to challenge for victory on the island contest. The 28-year-old’s preparations weren’t helped by the fact he was forced to miss a planned pre-event test in Czech Republic due to the recent Europe-wide flight disruption, although the Rally Argentina winner will get to sample his Škoda Fabia Super 2000 during a short test on Monday (April 26).

Unlike Hänninen, Guy Wilks did enjoy an extensive pre-rally test in northern Italy earlier this month. However, his return journey to his native United Kingdom was severely disrupted by the flight restrictions and meant he had to take two trains to reach his home in County Durham after his intended return flight was cancelled. Wilks is currently second in the drivers’ standings and confident he can overhaul Hänninen at the top of the table.

Jan Kopecký is due to head to Gran Canaria on the back of contesting Rally 1000 Miglia, which forms the opening rounds of the European and Italian championships this weekend. The Czech has won twice on asphalt at IRC level and was victorious when the series last included a round on Spanish soil in September 2009. To help Kopecký emulate that success, the factory Škoda Motorsport team has sent two Tarmac-spec Fabias to Gran Canaria for his and team-mate Hänninen’s use instead of converting the cars campaigned in South America for asphalt running.

Alberto Hevia was Kopecký’s main rival for honours in Spain last season and the 35-year-old Spaniard will again provide formidable opposition during his seasonal IRC appearance at the wheel of a Fabia S2000.

Defending IRC champion Kris Meeke posted his second retirement of the season in Argentina so will be hoping for better fortune in Gran Canaria. Meeke has sought advice from his friend Dani Sordo, a frontrunner in the World Rally Championship and a former Canarias regular, about the characteristics of Gran Canaria’s challenging roads. Meeke will be back behind the wheel of the Peugeot UK-backed 207 S2000 he used on January’s Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, while new team-mate Thierry Neuville, who begins his six-event IRC campaign in a second Kronos Racing-run 207, will use the car Meeke piloted in Brazil and Argentina.

Bruno Magalhães (pictured) hopes his return to European soil will kick-start his IRC bid after he admitted to struggling for pace and confidence on the opening three rounds in his Peugeot Portugal-supported 207. Although the three-time Portuguese champion has never competed on Gran Canaria before, his co-driver Carlos Magalhães partnered Miguel Campos to victory on the island in 2003.

Stohl Racing’s Daniel Oliveira can also count on the services of a former winning co-driver in the shape of Carlos del Barrio, who won on the island alongside Jesus Puras in 1997 and 2002. Oliveira, who drives a Peugeot 207, is embarking on his second asphalt rally.

Franz Wittmann skipped the South America double-header last month but returns to IRC duty two weeks after winning the German championship-counting Hessen Rallye Vogelsberg in his Interwetten Racing Peugeot 207 S2000. The Austrian impressed on the season-opening Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo before an off put him out on the final night of the event.

Irishman Daniel Barry returns to IRC action in his Ralliart Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX following a promising showing on his series debut in Monte Carlo earlier this season. Jonathan Pérez has the latest Evolution X model at his disposal, while Jose Barrios is the top Subaru runner in his Impreza.

Four Ford Fiesta drivers will fight it out for IRC 2WD Cup glory on Rally Islas Canarias, with Yeray Lemes expected to lead the charge in his R2-specification example. The local driver has experience at world championship level and has been tipped as one of Spain’s most promising drivers for the future.