After two highly specialised events this year, Rally Portugal is widely regarded as the first representative round of the World Championship.
Held on gravel roads, ranging from rocky sections in central Portugal to sandy stages further north, the rally provides a traditional challenge to temper outright speed with avoiding damage from potentially car breaking tracks.
Fierce conditions during the winter meant that many roads were badly damaged so very little useful pre-rally testing has been carried out in Portugal this year. Nearly all pre-event testing up to now was carried out in Spain instead.
Last weekend the weather changed for the better and the sun was seen in North Portugal again but earlier this week more rain arrived... Nobody knows what it will be like for the rally!
In the past weeks the local authorities have been repairing the roads. All the roads have been made passable in time for the start of reconnaissance and work is now in hand to make them in as good quality as possible before the event.
New for this year will be the Rally headquarters located at Europarque, Santa Maria da Feira, south of Porto, but the route itself remains similar to before.
Rally Portugal will be the final World Championship Rally before the arrival of
Citroen, with all the other six registered teams are to be present, meanwhile the Drivers' Championship couls barely be closer with three drivers, Tommi Makinen, Carlos Sainz and Harri Rovanpera, tying for the lead.
Meanwhile, the Saturday schedule has been brought forward by 30 minutes to enable all the Championship drivers to tackle the last stage in comparable conditions, before the onset of dusk in potentially dusty air.
In Group N neither of the joint leaders Olivier Gillet or Stig-Olov Walfridsson have entered: meaning that the top placed contender could well be Manfred Stohl.
Under the
FIA rules all the competitors in the Teams' Cup must take part, In Portugal they will be headed by Henrik Lundgaard (10 points) and the veteran Stig Blomqvist (6 points).
News from the teams:
Mitsubishi currently lead the Manufacturers' Championship with 23 points, while lead driver Tommi Makinen, who will have a new car in Portugal, will be looking to put the mistake in Sweden behind him as he tries to break away from the chasing pack.
