Sandy roads ensure grip is at a premium for the early starters during the first pass through the stages and the surface can degrade to unearth sharp rocks and deep ruts for the second pass. Varying road surfaces and changeable weather add to the task facing crews. It dropped off the WRC calendar from 2002 to 2006, but has largely remained a staple of the world championship. Until the 1980s the rally was a mixed surface event, featuring asphalt and gravel stages, before moving to an all gravel round. Iconic rally imagery, particularly at the iconic Fafe stage which features a crowd-pleasing large jump, is the result. It has proven to be hugely popular, with fans commonly flocking to the event in their droves.
The rally dates back to 1967, when Carpenteiro Albino won the inaugural event. What is Rally Portugal?Ī founding round of the WRC back in 1973, Rally Portugal is ranked as one of the championship’s classic events with challenging gravel stages to the east and south of host city Porto. M-Sport will once again field two Ford Pumas for 2019 world champion Ott Tanak, four points adrift of the championship lead, and Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet. Thierry Neuville leads Hyundai’s charge in the championship, sitting fifth the standings, 11 points shy of the summit, while team-mate Esapekka Lappi heads to Portugal after recording his first podium for the team in Croatia last month. Sordo returns as Hyundai scales back to a third entry The third i20 N will be driven by Dani Sordo, a regular on the podium in Portugal having secured silverware on six occasions, although the 40-year-old Spaniard is yet to taste victory. It's like that for now,” he said after stage five.Įvans dropped to sixth across the second pass of the morning stages with his bid to close the front runners further hampered by a damage to his right rear tyre on stage six.Hyundai will return to fielding three cars after withdrawing an entry that was set to be driven by the late Craig Breen, who died in a Rally Croatia testing crash. "Everything is difficult at the moment, obviously with the conditions and the balance also a bit. The two-time WRC title runner-up was however struggling for balance in his GR Yaris in the challenging conditions. The Toyota team has confirmed Evans and co-driver Scott Martin climbed out of the car and are okay after the incident.Įvans was faced with a damage limitation exercise virtue of his championship position after moving into a tie for the series lead following an emotional drought breaking win in Croatia last month.ĭespite the disadvantage of sweeping the gravel stages, Evans managed to end the morning loop sitting fifth overall, 18.0s shy of then rally leader Ott Tanak. It is unclear exactly what happened to the Welshman that has triggered a premature end to his day.
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