P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Yoann Bonato made it back-to-back Rally Islas Canarias victories with a flawless display on round two of the 2024 FIA
French driver Yoann Bonato, alongside Benjamin Boulloud, clinched victory in the ERC rally in Gran Canaria after a tight battle with Mathieu Franceschi, securing a lead of 2.8 seconds with a set of fastest stage times. This win marked the first triumph for Citroën C3 Rally2 in the 2024 season and the second victory for Michelin. With Franceschi’s Škoda Fabia Rally2 also equipped with Michelin tires, the manufacturer strengthens its position in the FIA European Rally Championship for Tyre Suppliers. Franceschi’s two consecutive runner-up finishes propelled him to the top of the Drivers’ championship standings with 56 points.
Bonato expressed his joy at securing his third ERC career win and attributed the success to maximum effort, solid teamwork, and impeccable performance from the car and tires despite the challenging conditions. Franceschi, aiming for championship points, acknowledged the difficulty of pushing too hard against Bonato, opting for a calculated approach to secure valuable points.
Alejandro Cachón claimed the final podium place in a thrilling all-Spanish battle, while ERC champion Hayden Paddon faced understeer issues, settling for sixth place. Jon Armstrong finished seventh after intercom troubles, with Mads Østberg overcoming brake problems to secure eighth. Yeray Lemes and Simon Wagner rounded out the top ten, with Filip Mareš completing the top 15 following a time penalty for Miko Marczyk.
