Luis Monzón knows the Rally Islas Canarias very well. He has won it three times and played a big role in making it an important event in international motorsport.
Now, Luis Monzón is getting ready for one of the most special races of his life — as the FIA World Rally Championship comes to Gran Canaria for the first time.
The 59-year-old will race in his fourth WRC event when the island’s biggest motorsport event takes place from April 24 to 27. He’ll be driving a Citroën C3 Rally2 in the WRC2 class with his longtime co-driver, José Carlos Déniz.
“I’ve watched this rally grow since the beginning, so seeing it become part of the World Championship is very satisfying,” Monzón said. “Even though I’ve been racing for almost 40 years, I’m really excited about this one. It will be historic, and I knew from the start that I wanted to be part of it.”
Monzón’s journey with Rally Islas Canarias began in 1987 when he first raced in a Renault 5 GT Turbo. He went on to win in 1994, 2004, and 2007. He has taken part in the rally 33 times and won over 70 stages — only Carlos Sainz has won more.
But Monzón’s role is more than just racing. He also helped organize the event and played a big part in making it an international competition, first through the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and later the FIA European Rally Championship.
Now, with the WRC coming to his island for the first time, Monzón returns to where he belongs — in the driver’s seat.
“Our first race in 1991 was unforgettable,” Monzón said. “It was a very different time, but the support from fans for all the Canary Islands teams that week is something I’ll always remember.”
“Later, I got the chance to race in famous rallies like Sanremo and Catalunya. The results weren’t always great, but the experience helped a lot.”
Monzón first raced in the World Rally Championship (WRC) at Rally Spain – Catalunya in 1991. He surprised everyone by finishing seventh overall in a Lancia Delta Integrale 16v. That’s still the best WRC finish ever by a driver from the Canary Islands. He raced again in 1994 and 1999, but hasn’t been in a WRC race since.
Until now.
“In 2025, I still want to compete and win,” he said. “I’m training hard for this race. I know the competition is tough, but I want to stay motivated, for both the fans and ourselves. We did two rallies before the Rally Islas Canarias and everything felt great. José Carlos and I are really excited.”
For Déniz, who’s been Monzón’s co-driver since 1995, this will be his fourth WRC event.
Exciting WRC2 Showdown Ahead
Luis Monzón will compete in WRC2 as part of a record 38 entries – the highest number ever in this category.
Leading the group are Citroën factory drivers Yohan and Leo Rossel. They’ll be joined by 2022 champion Emil Lindholm and last year’s European Rally Championship (ERC) runner-up Mathieu Franceschi.
Spanish fans will be cheering for Alejandro Cachón and 2022 ERC champion Efrén Llarena. Also in the mix is Nikolay Gryazin, making the competition even tougher.
