Alexandre Coria's take: "The weather will be the deciding factor" of the Rally of Portugal

A rather unusual format on the Rally of Portugal, the sixth round of the World Rally Championship, is taking place this week. The event begins this Wednesday, May 06th, with the Shakedown (16:01 PM French time, 15:01 PM local time), while the first official special stages of the rally will take place from Thursday afternoon, May 07th. Consequently, the competitors had to complete their reconnaissance runs a little earlier than planned, starting this Wednesday morning: a timing that required some logistical adjustments. This provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with Alexandre Coria, the co-driver of...Adrien fourmaux, for its traditional post-reconnaissance analysis. "The weather will be the deciding factor this weekend.""He stated this bluntly. Indeed, rain is forecast for Saturday and Sunday at the Rally of Portugal, with a risk of precipitation also on Friday afternoon. In this context, and given that the Rally of Portugal is the first true gravel event of the season, we can already imagine another completely unpredictable rally, with a crazy storyline and a significant level of difficulty."

First two days of endurance testing at the Rally of Portugal

Proof of the complexity of the upcoming event, this first part of the competition could be described as a "marathon": this Thursday, May 07th, the competitors will complete three special stages and will have access to remote assistance at the end of the day, as well as between the two runs on Friday. The first actual service stop will therefore take place at the end of the second stage. “Regarding the special stage routes, there should be quite a bit of sweeping on Thursday. The stages are known; two of them were new last year, and unfortunately, Adrien and I had already retired when it came time to use them last year. The second stage, Sever/Albergaria, at 20,24 kilometers, will already be a big challenge.”"As Alexandre Coria explains, beyond its timing, the second stage on Friday, May 08th will certainly be delicate." “While SS4/10, Mortágua, remains unchanged from last year, Arganil (SS5/7) and Góis (SS8) will be run in the opposite direction to what we were used to. Despite this change of direction, Arganil will still have a profile quite similar to its previous version; the roads have been well resurfaced, although we can wonder if the repairs will last… On the other hand, Góis hasn't been resurfaced much, especially on the plateau, so we'll find a lot of bumps, fast sections, and quick passages.”"That's what Alexandre Coria said. The driver from Hérault also closely examined the Lousã special stage (SS6/9):" "It's not very long, and its abrasive surface is reminiscent of Sardinia."he emphasized in particular.

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Will the weather spice up the Rally of Portugal?

According to the navigator from Montpellier, the last two days of this Rally of Portugal, due to the risk of rain, will therefore potentially be the most difficult to navigate. “In practical terms, everyone will be driving from memory on Saturday, except for the first few kilometers of Amarante (SS13/17), which weren't on the program last year. The real question will be the weather we encounter there, with, in particular, a risk of fog when we gain altitude.”he explained to us. Regarding Sunday, May 10, there were no major surprises with two very well-known special stages, Vieira do Minho (SS 20/22) and Fafe (SS 21/23), legendary stages of this Rally Portugal. "Everyone knows them, despite the return of a small part of Viera do Minho who hadn't been seen since 2023. Regarding Fafe, magnificent remains the right word to describe her."he specified. As every year, therefore, the route of this Rally of Portugal promises plenty of excitement, while the weather could reshuffle the cards. "The special stages have been well reworked, sometimes even widened, so everything is in place for a great rally."Coria concluded.