Meeke expects open Rally Islas Canarias

Kris Meeke, the defending Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion, says the fourth round of the series, Rally Islas Canarias, next week will be the most open of the season so far.

Although the Gran Canaria-based event, which takes place from 29 April-1 May, is well established in European rallying circles, none of the IRC frontrunners have contested the Tarmac event before.

Meeke, currently third in the IRC drivers’ standings after the opening three rounds, said: "It’s going to be a very open rally because apart from the local Spanish drivers none of us have done the event before so nobody will have an edge. That will make it really interesting and a hard one to call in terms of the result."

The Northern Irishman, 30, will drive a Peugeot UK-backed 207 Super 2000 on the island event alongside his usual navigator Paul Nagle. They are among 60 crews included on the provisional entry list, which is due to be published today.