Portugal (WRC) - 19-22 May 22

JUNIOR WRC EMBARKS UPON THE FIRST GRAVEL ROUND OF THE SEASON IN PORTUGAL

Posted: May 19, 2022 4:58 AM

The 2022 FIA Junior WRC Championship is set to pass its halfway marker on the rough and tough Rallye de Portugal with a tantalising championship fight taking place that sees Lauri Joona and Jon Armstrong tied at the top.

Portugal marks the first of three gravel outings for Junior WRC in 2022 as the field of future WRC stars prepare for the sport’s more traditional surface type. The championship has already visited on the snow and ice of Rally Sweden which saw Armstrong claim the opening victory of 2022. Round two headed to the slippery asphalt of Croatia in which Lauri Joona claimed his maiden Junior WRC victory.

Equipped with identical EcoBoost-powered M-Sport Poland Fiesta Rally3 cars, exclusively fitted with Pirelli Scorpion tyres and using tailor made Wolf Lubricants, the rival crews will all be vying for the first gravel victory of 2022.

While road position won’t be a factor that will affect Junior WRC crews too much, pace and strategy will be the key to winning the rally. Winning Rally de Portugal relies on a balanced approach between outright pace and seeing the finish line of every stage.

The temptation to push hard will be even more present for Junior WRC crews thanks to the possibility of Wolf Stage Win Points available on every stage of the rally which can change a crew’s championship fortunes. With three super-special-stages on this year’s edition of Rally de Portugal comes three unique opportunities to deploy clever tyre and setup strategies to snatch low-risk but highly sought-after championship points.

Following an educational couple of rounds so far this season, McRae Kimathi has opted to recruit the experienced hands of Stuart Loudon to co-drive for him for Portugal. Mwangi Kioni will still be present on the event and following Kimathi as the move has been made for both driver and co-driver to learn and draw from Loudon’s broad WRC experience.

Following a podium performance on Croatia Rally, Jean-Baptiste Franceschi has decided to withdraw from the championship with immediate effect. The 2021 ERC Junior Champion has decided to forfeit the remainder of his Junior WRC prize drives due to feeling too underprepared for the level of competition required in Junior WRC.

Maciej Woda, FIA Junior WRC Championship Manager, said:
“It’s an exciting moment for the championship as we are now heading to rallying’s most popular and exciting surface. While we want to ensure Junior WRC competes on every surface available on the WRC calendar, it’s vital that we also deliver a variety of gravel surfaces too. Portugal represents the rough and more extreme types of gravel available in WRC and require 100% focus and attention to detail in the stages. Conditions tend to develop rapidly from recce to the first competitive pass for Junior WRC cars so crews have to balancing showing care, without losing too much time. We have an old face returning for Portugal too with Stuart Loudon joining McRae and Mwangi to help them develop their skills in WRC, it’s a very mature and wise move from McRae and I am sure him and Mwangi will learn a lot. I am also very disappointed to confirm that J-B Franceschi will not be continuing in the championship. J-B is a very talented and capable driver, he has proved this multiple times but if he doesn’t feel prepared for Junior WRC then we have to respect his decision.”

65 Jon Armstrong / Brian Hoy
“Portugal is one of those events where you probably have to try and survive more than raw pace. Of course, if you don’t push you’ll get left behind quite a bit as well. I think it’s just a matter of trying to see how the first couple of stages go, try to get through them and take it from there.”

66 Sami Pajari / Enni Malkonen
“You should be really clever on this rally; you need to really choose the places where you are pushing and where you being careful. Let’s see how it goes, for sure in Junior WRC you need to be going flat out if you want to have a chance at winning which is not going to be easy.”

67 Lauri Joona / Mikael Korhonen
“I am feeling good but also a little bit scared because the last time we were here we retired twice. Still, I need to go into this event with a clear and happy mindset as it is a nice rally.”

68 William Creighton / Liam Regan
“Any event you’ve done before, it helps a lot to have that experience, but the event is very long, and it is a bit of a marathon. The stages can get quite rough, and there is a lot to take in but at the same time on an event like this you need a bit of luck as well.”

70 Robert Virves / Aleks Lesk
“We are aiming for the best result possible in Portugal, I haven’t done any kilometres of testing on gravel with the car yet so it is not going to be easy but let’s see.”

72 Mcrae Kimathi / Stuart Loudon
“I just really thought about things and I thought we both needed to learn from somebody who can help us to understand more about what European rallies are all about. It’s just a one-time move as a kind of benchmarking tool to help both of us. I picked Stuart because he’s competed in Kenya with Onkar Rai and he also understands these types of rallies. It’s just to help me get to this level that the other Junior WRC drivers are at, to get to that benchmark level.”

GR YARIS Rally1 geared up for gravel debut

Posted: May 17, 2022 10:12 AM

The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team is preparing to enter a key phase of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship season at the Rally de Portugal on May 19-22: The first gravel event for the GR YARIS Rally1.

The team has enjoyed a strong start to the new hybrid Rally1 era of the WRC, with Kalle Rovanperä impressively winning two of the first three rounds on snow and asphalt to lead the drivers’ championship by 29 points while TGR heads the manufacturers’ standings by 42 points. Portugal, though, represents the first of five consecutive rounds on gravel and a new challenge for the latest generation of cars.

Rovanperä faces a new challenge too, tasked with sweeping the road on Friday on gravel for the first time in his career as WRC leader. Team-mates Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans will have more favourable road positions, sitting eighth and ninth respectively in the standings. Evans will target a podium return on an event he won in 2021 while Ogier – making his second WRC appearance of the season – has five victories in Portugal, a joint record. Takamoto Katsuta is sixth in the championship after a consistent start to 2022 in his TGR WRT Next Generation entry, and finished fourth overall in Portugal last year.

The rally is based around the city of Porto with the service park located in nearby Matosinhos, and the stages attract large numbers of passionate fans. The roads are fast but technical, with a surface that is usually soft and sandy at first but often becomes rocky and rutted for the second pass.

As in 2021, Coimbra once again hosts the ceremonial start on Thursday evening, and this time it’s combined with a new super special stage on the city streets to kick-start the competitive action. Crews will stay overnight before tackling a trio of tests around Arganil, where there will be a tyre fitting zone before the same stages are then repeated in the afternoon. An additional test at Morta?gua follows, and the Lousada super special rounds out the day upon returning north.

Saturday is the longest day of the rally, featuring 164.98 competitive kilometres. It starts with two tests in the Cabreira mountains before Amarante, the longest stage of 2022 so far at 37.24 km. Following mid-day service, all three are repeated before another street stage alongside the mouth of the Douro river. Five stages bring the rally to a close on Sunday, centered around two passes of the famous Fafe test – the latter serving as the Power Stage finale.

Quotes:

Jari-Matti Latvala (Team Principal)
“So far, we have been very competitive with the GR YARIS Rally1 on asphalt and snow across the first three rallies of the season. Portugal will be the first of three difficult rallies on gravel in just over five weeks and it will be very interesting to see the level of the different teams and cars. With so much of the season driven on gravel, it’s very important to be competitive on this surface, and providing our drivers with a reliable car will also have to be a big focus across these next events. In Portugal, when it’s dry there’s a lot of loose gravel on top of the surface and this makes it very difficult for the first car on the road. This difficult task will be a new experience for Kalle on Friday, but we know that he’ll be able to keep his cool even if he’s losing time. On the other hand, we will have good starting positions with Elfyn and Seb and they should both have a strong possibility to fight for the victory.”

Sébastien Ogier / Benjamin Veillas Sébastien Ogier (Driver car 1)
“I’m excited to be back competing in Portugal. I’ve really enjoyed having some time off and now I feel quite fresh coming back. I’m of course happy to see the team has continued winning in the last couple of rallies, and I’m here not only to enjoy it and get some good results for myself but also to help win another manufacturers’ title. Portugal is a special place for me: I have a good connection with the country and the fans and have had some good success there over the years. It will be something different for me to not be starting near the front and hopefully that can be a bit of an advantage if it doesn’t rain. The biggest challenge will be getting back in the rhythm straightaway after only one test day on gravel last week. But at the same time, these cars are new for everyone on gravel, so let’s see what we can do.”

Elfyn Evans / Scott Martin
Elfyn Evans (Driver car 33)
“As with a lot of rallies this year, it’s difficult to know how we will fare against the competition in our first event on gravel with the Rally1 cars, but the feeling in testing last week was generally quite positive. Portugal is a rally I’ve enjoyed more and more as the years have gone on, and it was great to win there last year. We could definitely do with a strong result on this occasion too and that will be the aim like always. With a run of gravel events coming up, hopefully we can hit the ground running in Portugal and then carry some momentum forwards. If it’s dry then our road position should be favourable, but that’s not an automatic ticket to a good result and there’s still a lot to focus on and to get right in order to make the most of it, especially as everyone tries to get comfortable in these cars.”

Kalle Rovanperä / Jonne Halttunen
Kalle Rovanperä (Driver car 69)
“The feeling with the new car on gravel has been quite good overall, especially in our pre-event test last week with some improvements made from before. Portugal is a rally that I usually like; the stages are nice and technical and there is a great atmosphere. For us, the road-cleaning will probably be the biggest challenge, especially as it’s something quite new for us. Friday could be much more important than on other rallies and we will try to be at a good pace straightaway to remain in contention for the rest of the weekend. The key thing in these next rallies will be to just try to keep calm and focus on doing a good job, without taking too much pressure or making mistakes, and keep taking good points where we can.”

Hyundai Motorsport welcomes largest WRC customer entry for Rally Portugal - 3 PCRS Cars Entered

Posted: May 17, 2022 9:36 AM

Hyundai Motorsport will have their highest number of customers yet at a FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) event at Rally Portugal later this month, led by ten crews taking the start in i20 N Rally2 cars.

The record high number of Hyundai customers at the event showcases the growing reputation of the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing department, the cars built in Alzenau, Germany and the teams who prepare and drive them. The weekend comes as the department continues to deliver new i20 N Rally2 chassis to customers around the world, all the while receiving orders for new cars. Since its debut last summer the car has scored class victories in WRC2, as well as overall wins in national rallies in France, Spain and Portugal. Including the pair of older i20 R5 models that will join the field at Rally Portugal the total tally nearly doubles the previous largest number of Hyundai customers in a world championship event - from the 2020 season finale, Rally Monza.

This year’s Rally Portugal marks the 2022 debut of Hyundai Motorsport’s WRC2 team, with drivers Teemu Suninen and Fabrizio Zaldivar set to start their seven-event seasons with the i20 N Rally2 at the Matasinhos-based event.

Paraguayan Zaldivar is one of two Customer Racing Junior Drivers set to tackle the event, as Josh McErlean drives one of three entries prepared for the weekend by Irish team PCRS. Preparing for the start of his WRC2 season McErlean showed great pace at the Rali Terras D’Aboboreira, where he won two stages ahead of far more experienced Portuguese crews on the national event.

The team’s other two entries will be entrusted to Pauric Duffy, who has already driven the car on a pair of Portuguese rallies this year, and Paul Rowley, who makes his debut in the car and at the event.

Oliver Solberg, one of two drivers who scored a stage win the i20 N Rally2 on its competitive debut at the Ypres Rally in 2021, will return to the wheel of a Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing-built car for the first time since last season’s Rally Finland as he continues to gain competitive miles and experience on WRC stages. The Belgian BMA team, who have been present at each round of the WRC2 season so far with their i20 N Rally2 will run one car – for French driver Frédéric Rosati, who has already run at Monte Carlo and Sweden this year.

Rally Portugal also hosts the fourth round of the Portuguese national rally championship, which also features a large Hyundai customer presence in the form of Team Hyundai Portugal’s trio of cars for Bruno Magalhães, Ricardo Teodósio and Pedro Meireles. The Hyundai Portugal-supported team have started the season strongly, with Magalhães claiming a podium finish in each of the first three events. Magalhães also took victory in a national event last season in only his third start with the car.

All Hyundai customers at the event will have access to a well-stocked on-site spare parts service, in order to keep the cars in the competition, despite the rally’s rough and challenging stages, and achieve the results their performance and the proven capabilities of the car make possible.

Hyundai Motorsport Deputy Team Principal Julien Moncet said: “We speak a lot about the growing strength and reputation of the Customer Racing department, but rarely is there such clear evidence of this as we have in our customers’ entries for Rally Portugal. The number is, obviously, incredibly positive and underlines the work of the department to deliver cars to teams through the early part of the season, but even more impressive is the quality of the crews behind them. Of course, we have a very strong pair of drivers for our own WRC2 team, but Oliver Solberg, Josh McErlean, and Bruno Magalhães have each also proven their pace in the car in previous events, with two Spanish drivers among the leading crews in the national championship. The Hyundai Portugal-supported crews who will be part of the national event have had a strong start to the season, and I look forward to following their progress on the rally alongside our other customers and our trio of WRC cars.”

McErlean/Fulton feel positive for WRC Portugal and Sardinia double-header

Posted: May 17, 2022 8:42 AM

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Josh McErlean will resume his FIA World Rally Championship campaign next weekend as he tackles Rally de Portugal [19 – 22 May].

After securing fifth place in the WRC2 Junior category at Rally Sweden, McErlean and co-driver James Fulton head for their second WRC encounter of the season, piloting a PCRS Rallysport run Hyundai i20 N Rally2.

And there will be little time to reflect on McErlean’s Portugal performance as just 11 days after the finish in Matosinhos, the next round of the championship takes place on the island of Sardinia just off the coast of Italy; often regarded as the toughest gravel event in the WRC roster.

In a demanding schedule, the 22-year-old from Kilrea, Co. Derry will need to call on all his previous experience and resilience to remain focused during both gruelling gravel rallies, but the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Junior Driver is eager to get back in the driver’s seat.

“I’m really looking forward to returning to the World Rally Championship and rejuvenating our WRC2 Junior campaign,” he says.

“We have two, very tough and challenging events ahead that are extremely close together which of course brings its challenges, both logistically and for us as a crew. But we are well aware that these are two very strategic rallies in our championship campaign, and we are very much focused on delivering a result which gives us solid points for the championship.”

McErlean heads to Portugal with an impressive back catalogue of experience in the country, having tackled Rali Terras d’Aboboreira and WRC Rally Portugal in 2021, claiming confidence-boosting results on both outings. He would return to Amarante in April to familiarise himself once again with the surface and style of stages and was immediately on the pace, leading the rally until slipping into retirement.

“As a team, we have valuable experience of Portugal and the characteristics of the stages, as well as last year’s WRC outing which always helps to level the playing field to our rivals. We have also been working extremely hard in our preparation and bringing those two aspects together, we hope to find a comfortable rhythm from the off and use our experience to manage our whole rally. The aim is to have a solid, clean event that will get our season back on track.”

In his inaugural full WRC2 season, McErlean kicked off his campaign at Rally Sweden and despite making his WRC snow rally debut, was running inside the top ten despite a sizeable list of 22 Rally2 contenders. A brush with a snowbank hampered progress, but McErlean was encouraged with his recovery during the weekend and is aiming for more this time around.

“I am feeling incredibly positive for what is ahead and of course extremely excited to be able to tackle two classic WRC events. It will be a huge amount of fun, there is no doubt about that as they are some of the best gravel roads in the world, but the focus is equally there to get the job done.”

“The turnaround for Sardinia is such a small window so we will need to have a good week of preparation in between events to everything in order so we can get experience of the rough and tough island of Sardinia. It’s going to be mega; this is proper World Rally Championship rallying.”

Portugal could hold key to Creighton’s Junior WRC aspirations

Posted: May 16, 2022 11:35 AM

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver William Creighton will aim to get his FIA Junior World Rally Championship campaign back on track at this weekend’s Rally de Portugal [19-22 May].

Creighton, 24 from Moira in Co. Down has endured a rollercoaster of a season so far with an opening-round podium at Rally Sweden followed closely by a moderate fifth place at Croatia Rally in April.

Now, the third round of the hotly contested series will see a shift onto a gravel surface for the first time in 2022 and despite the challenges that the rough, tough Portuguese gravel brings, Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan will be looking to the event to put their Croatia misfortunes behind them.

“We were fortunate that Rally Portugal was part of last year’s Junior WRC which means I have some decent knowledge of the stages and what we can expect this weekend,” says Creighton.

“That’s always a bonus when you are competing at this level but of course, it just needs some slightly different weather or running position to negate that advantage. Despite that, I really enjoyed the rally last year and although we had mechanical issues on the opening day, we had a positive pace, and the split times were encouraging so we hope that bodes well for this time around.”

Creighton claimed his maiden Junior WRC podium on the snow-bound Rally Sweden after an impressive performance saw him start his campaign with third place. The super-fast asphalt of Croatia followed, but an impact on day one tumbled him down the leader board.

But Creighton was eager to fight back and kept his focus throughout the remainder of the rally. An inspirational drive over the rain-soaked Sunday leg saw him set a 12th overall fastest stage time on the penultimate test, beating a string of Rally2 machinery and WRC2 regulars in the process.

The move onto gravel brings its difficulties, as running behind the Rally1 and Rally2 cars mean the stages are often rutted and broken up by the time the Rally3 Fiesta protagonists attempt the tests. And Rally Portugal is as brutal as it gets, with no service at all during the opening day loop of nine stages.

The Amarante stage, run twice, offers a gruelling 37 kilometres of flat out driving on Saturday with Sunday’s shorter, but no less demanding leg often providing a sting in the tail. Nevertheless, Creighton cites the weekend as pivotal to claiming a positive result.

“This rally is very unforgiving and amplifies any mistakes at all. But I do feel confident heading into the rally and excited to be heading back. The fans are amazing there and that gives you a real boost both on and off the stages. It is a privilege to be lining up alongside such a stellar entry list and thanks to the support of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy I feel as ready as ever to tackle a rally. It’s going to be a marathon, but we are ready for the challenge.”

M-SPORT FORD PUMAS PREPARE TO COME OUT IN FORCE IN PORTUGAL

Posted: May 16, 2022 11:34 AM

M-Sport Ford World Rally Team is preparing for a full-scale attack on the gravel roads of Rally de Portugal this week as 2022 Rallye Monte Carlo winner and nine-time world champion, Sebastien Loeb, returns to complete a historic line-up of five Ford Puma Hybrid Rally1 cars.

The highly anticipated event marks the 50th anniversary celebrations of the FIA World Rally Championship; Rally de Portugal featured in the championship’s inaugural season and this year’s event will celebrate half a century of history, with historic cars and figures making appearances over the course of the weekend.

In tandem with the anniversary celebrations in Porto, M-Sport Ford continues to add to the history books with the first five-car entry in WRC’s new hybrid Rally1 era.

Despite Portugal’s reputation for being particularly rough and physically demanding for both crews and cars alike, the M-Sport team has delivered strong performances on the event over the years with an outright event victory in 2017 and a double podium the following year.

Loeb’s return to the team brings more Rally de Portugal experience with him, including two overall victories and a further two podium finishes since his first outing on the event in 2007. The Frenchman will be joined by co-driver Isabelle Galmiche, who guided Loeb to a record-setting 80th victory on Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.

The event hosts some of rallying’s most famous stages, including the iconic Lousada super special stage on Friday and Sunday’s Fafe power stage, which features one of WRC’s most iconic jumps within the 11km final stage.

The FIA Junior WRC Championship also heads into its third round in Portugal, where seven of M-Sport Poland’s entry-level Ford Fiesta Rally3 cars go head-to-head again in one of the feeder category’s closest seasons yet.

Sebastien Loeb, said:
“The first feeling in the Puma on gravel at our test was quite good, I was quite happy with the feeling I had as we worked on the suspension and the differential setups. Only one day of testing isn’t a lot when it’s the first time you are driving a car on gravel, but at the end I was happy with the feeling I had.

“My goal will be to find a rhythm as quickly as possible, hopefully I will be in a good rhythm to fight at the front, if I could be not far from the podium that would be a good performance. The challenges of Rally de Portugal for me will be that I am fourth on the road, road cleaning is always a challenge in this kind of rally if it is dry. I don’t really know what to expect there so we need to do a good first day, and for the rest we will see where we are.”

Craig Breen, said:
“I am looking forward to Portugal, it’s a rally that I haven’t done for several years, I think it was 2018 the last time I did it. After the first three rallies, they were all a bit unique in their own way, so looking forward to seeing what the pace of the Puma will be in Portugal.

“We had a good test, I felt good in the car and we got some good work done. I am looking forward to discovering the rally, there are a lot of new stages and some changes since the last time I was there, so it will be interesting. I’d like to have a bit more speed than what we showed in Croatia, so we’ll be working as hard as we can to make that possible.”

Gus Greensmith, said:
“I am really looking forward to Portugal, it is without doubt my favourite rally and the first rally I did overseas. I’ve got a lot of fond memories of this rally, it will be my seventh time doing the rally, so I’ve got lots of experience here.

“I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time with the car, co-driver and everything. There’s no pressure this weekend as I’m not scoring any manufacturer points so I’m just here to enjoy myself. Usually when I enjoy myself, things go well, so that’s the plan.”

Adrien Fourmaux, said:
“This will be my second time in Portugal, and I had a good feeling last year with the WRC car, so I am looking forward to getting out in the Puma and see how it goes. It is a really nice event, the spectators are great and it’s a fantastic atmosphere.

“We are looking forward to all the gravel events coming up, there are quite a few ahead of us now, so we’re really excited to get going in Portugal and hoping for a good result for the team.”

Pierre-Louis Loubet, said:
“Portugal has always been my favourite rally in the past, it’s where I have had some of my best results. It was my first ever WRC event, when I was only 18, so I’m looking forward to it and hope it will be a strong second event for us this season.

“We were happy with our pace in Croatia, and we’re hoping that with the same pace, and no punctures, it will go well and we can hope for a good result.”

Richard Millener, Team Principal, said:
“Portugal is always a tough rally and with it being our first proper gravel rally with the new car, it will likely be a big challenge. With a five-car line-up the team has been working under exceptional circumstances since Croatia and it’s a proud moment for us all to be the first manufacturer to field five Hybrid Rally1 cars on a single event.

“From our testing and development programme last year and the feedback from our pre-event test, I think the Puma Hybrid will perform well on gravel as our drivers are feeling comfortable and confident in the car.

“One major point of enthusiasm within the team is the return of Seb and Isabelle to the team after leading us to victory on the Monte at the start of the year. It’s strange to think we have only had two outings since then, but we are really excited to have them back for the first gravel event of the season. It is especially significant to have such an icon of the sport with us on the same weekend that we are celebrating 50 years of WRC; the timing is just perfect.”

Hyundai Motorsport Preview: Round 4 – Rally de Portugal

Posted: May 16, 2022 11:31 AM

Hyundai Motorsport travels to round four of the 2022 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Rally de Portugal, with increased confidence following a double podium finish at Croatia Rally. After a difficult start to the campaign, the entire team is focused on continuing its improved form and competing for victory on the gravel roads of the Matosinhos-based event.

As the first gravel event of the hybrid era in WRC, Rally de Portugal will be a demanding test for the Hyundai i20 N Rally1. While it has already tackled ice, snow and tarmac so far this season, the abrasive and unpredictable surface presents a fresh challenge that will push the car and its crews to the limit.

Rally de Portugal will mark Dani Sordo and Cándido Carrera’s first competitive outing in the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, however the crew has accumulated plenty of kilometres in the car during testing. Sordo also boasts a strong record in Portugal, having stood on the podium at the event on five occasions, including in 2021. The Spaniards will join Belgians Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe and Estonians Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja in the Hyundai Motorsport line-up for the weekend. All three crews will be aiming to get to grips with the surface quickly and push for a strong result on the gravel.

With over 330km of special stages, Rally de Portugal is known to be one of the more gruelling events on the calendar. The 2022 edition of the rally begins on Thursday evening with a single super special stage following the ceremonial start in the city of Coimbra. On Friday, the crews will tackle eight stages that cover a distance of 121.67km. However, this is not the longest day of the event, with Saturday’s itinerary containing a further seven tests totalling 164.98km. The event concludes on Sunday with five additional stages, including two passes of the Fafe stage and its iconic jump.

Deputy Team Principal Julien Moncet said:
“We head to Rally de Portugal with a positive feeling after our best performance of the season so far in Croatia. It was great to see our crews fighting for the overall rally victory, and although we did not get the win, it was good to secure a double podium finish. While Portugal is a new surface for the Hyundai i20 N Rally1, we want to keep this forward momentum and once again compete at the front of the field. The entire Hyundai Motorsport team has worked tirelessly to improve the car over the past few months and it is clear that our efforts are making a real difference. It is We will keep pushing in our development and bring ourselves into title contention as the season progresses.”

Crew Notes: Thierry Neuville/Martijn Wydaeghe (#11 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Belgians claimed second consecutive podium at previous round
Crew aiming for a strong first outing on gravel in the hybrid era

Neuville said: “Rally de Portugal is very exciting event for us competitors; there are always huge crowds of fans and a great atmosphere. The stages are enjoyable yet challenging. This is mainly due to the high temperatures, so tyre wear is important here as well, and it can be quite rough on the second pass of the stage. It’s going to be our first gravel event with the new hybrid cars; we saw in Sweden on the gravel set-up in the snow that the car was fast and we hope that we are going to be strong on this surface.”

Crew Notes: Ott Tänak/Martin Järveoja (#8 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Estonians secured first podium of 2022 last time out in Croatia
Duo hoping to challenge for victory in Portugal

Tänak said: “Portugal is a very fun rally to drive, and one that I really enjoy. It’s the first time this year we are competing on gravel, so this will be our first indicator of how competitive we are. Portugal is fast with a rather soft surface, and the second loop of the stages can be tough and demanding after the first pass. You need good reliability as well as speed here to be successful. Martin and I know what it takes to win in Portugal; we hope that the momentum from our podium last time out in Croatia will continue with a good result next weekend.”

Crew Notes: Dani Sordo/Cándido Carrera (#6 Hyundai i20 N Rally1)
Spanish crew to compete in hybrid challenger for the first time
Sordo finished second in 2021 edition of Rally de Portugal

Sordo said: “Portugal is always really nice, so I am very happy that this will be my first event of the season, as I’ve scored a podium here twice in the past with Hyundai. There are normally a lot of spectators who travel from my home of Spain and the crowds have always been fantastic. I’m excited to drive the car on gravel for the first time. I’m hoping to have a good rhythm with the car and adapt myself quickly to this new challenge. It won’t be easy as the other drivers have done three rallies already so I hope the feeling for the car comes quickly.

WRC2 Overview

Rally de Portugal will also mark the first outing of Hyundai Motorsport N in the FIA World Rally Championship 2 (WRC2) class.

Two Hyundai i20 N Rally2 cars will compete in the event, run by RedGrey Team. Finnish crew Teemu Suninen and Mikko Markkula will return to the cockpit following a successful outing in Rally de España, where they secured second in class on their debut with the car. Joining them will be Paraguayan driver Fabrizio Zaldivar and his co-driver Carlos del Barrio.

Suninen said: “Rally de Portugal is one of most legendary events in calendar. It’s relatively fast, but still quite a technical gravel rally. It is a bit like a sprint: you have to go flat out, but on the second loop it is critical to look after your tyres at the same time, as it can get a bit rough in places. It will be my first time with Hyundai i20 N Rally2 car on gravel, so my first goal is learn everything and find a good rhythm with the car. After we have found it, I want our pace to match the level of top guys to drive for strong results.”

Zaldivar said: “I have to say very happy and very excited at the same time. I think Rally de Portugal is one of the most complete events on the calendar. The fast sections, the different changes of pace and the mountain areas pose a complex challenge, both sporting and technical. You have to combine speed and precision in the pace-notes, or you end up without tyres and very far from the top times. The work with the team in the previous tests will be the key to achieve a balanced car. Being my first time, we will seek to support the team's strategy by scoring the most points.”

Deputy Team Principal Julien Moncet said: “Rally de Portugal is a fantastic venue for our first WRC2 outing of the year. Teemu and Mikko showed they were able to quickly get to grips with the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 last season, and we’re confident they will adapt to gravel and demonstrate the car’s pace and potential. Fabrizio is a rising star in rally and with Carlos by his side, they will make a strong partnership in WRC2. We wish both crews the best of luck and look forward to seeing what they can do next weekend.”

Weekend at a Glance
Rally de Portugal begins on Thursday evening with a single super special stage: Coimbra (2.82km)
Friday’s running consists of two loops of Lousã (12.03km), Góis (19.33km) and Arganil (18.72km) followed by a single pass each of Mortágua (18.15km) and the Lousada super special (3.36km)
Saturday is the longest day of the event, with its seven stages totalling 164.98km. It also contains the longest individual test in Amarante (37.24km), which the crews must tackle twice
The Sunday itinerary boasts five stages, including two passes of the Fafe stage and its famous jump. The second pass of Fafe (11.18km) will offer additional points, acting as the rally’s Power Stage.

Entry List

Posted: May 10, 2022 9:05 AM

Portugal (WRC) - 19-22 May 22 - ENTRY LIST

Rally Guide / Details / Event Website

Posted: March 7, 2022 2:49 AM

Rally de Portugal