Unsettled weather conditions are forecast over the weekend to coincide with the 59th running of the Vodafone Rally of Portugal.
Sixty-seven crews and competitors from 22 nations are scheduled to tackle 23 special stages over the course of the next four days. But there is a risk of showers, perhaps heavy, from Friday evening through to the finale on the Wolf Power Stage in Fafe on Sunday afternoon.
Action gets underway with a revised Thursday format and three special stages to whet the appetite in the afternoon after the traditional start in the university city of Coimbra.
Competitors will tackle an opener of 15.08km between Águeda and Sever before heading towards Albergaria for a second stage of 20.24km. There is a slight risk of showers on the second one before crews head to a short super special stage of 1.93km at Figueira da Foz before the overnight Parc Ferme.
A challenging Friday timetable features 96.22 competitive kilometres and sees crews tackling four stages twice and a single pass through the Goís test. Action begins to the northeast of Coimbra with the opening Mortágua stage of 14.59km in the district of Viseu. This is quickly followed by iconic stages at Arganil (18.62km) and Lousã (7.07km) before an opportunity for remote service in Arganil to the east of Coimbra.
The three speed tests are repeated in the afternoon with the solitary pass through Goís (15.66km) sandwiched between the second runs through Arganil and Lousã. Afternoon showers are forecast to pass through the area, potentially affecting tyre choice and race strategy.
Saturday’s demanding timetable includes 145.88 competitive kilometres and nine special stages, culminating in the annual visit to the Lousada rallycross track for a spectator bonanza from 19.05km.
Heavy showers are forecast throughout the day, particularly in the Felgueiras and Amarante areas to the northeast of Porto. A first pass through a short Felgueiras stage of 8.81km gets the day’s action underway before rapid-fire runs through Cabeceiras de Basto (19.91km), Amarante (26.24km) and Paredes (16.09km) complete the morning’s itinerary.
Even though the energy-sapping Amarante stage is the longest of the rally, Saturday morning’s loop of four stages could well prove decisive with uncertain weather conditions and four demanding speed tests on the timetable.
A midday return to Exponor for a service and regroup precedes repeat runs through the four stages in the afternoon and the visit to Lousada in the evening.
Only two stages, repeated twice, are planned for Sunday, but the threat of heavier rain showers makes the conclusion to the event absolutely fascinating.
Action gets underway with the first of two passes through the Vieira do Minho stage (21.60km) in Braga County and a first pass through the legendary Fafe stage of 11.18km, featuring the iconic Pedra Sentada jump into the flying finish.
Vieira do Minho is repeated mid-morning before competitors regroup and refuel in Fafe in preparation for the Wolf Power Stage finale and the second pass through Fafe. Weather conditions could well dictate that Ott Tänak’s Fafe stage record of 6min 38.3sec remains intact for another year.
