9 Rally1, Dani Sordo and a royal WRC2 in Portugal

Portugal has the reputation of really launching the championship. This is still somewhat true this year. After very specific meetings in Monte-Carlo, Sweden and Kenya on WRC traveled to Croatia which is also a special round, because it is contested on asphalt. In Porto, the competition will begin a series of 7 races on gravel before the final on tarmac.

In Rally1, the main novelty will be the presence of the 4 Yaris for the first time since Japan 2023. M-Sport et Hyundai will do the classic with 2 Puma and three i20s. The “new thing” among the Koreans will be the appointment of Dani Sordo on the 3rd car. The Spaniard will begin his 22^e consecutive year at this level and Portugal will be its 190^e rally globally. Dani will thus equal Petter Solberg and he will settle on the podium of the most successful drivers behind Carlos Sainz (196) and Jari-Matti Latvala (210). If the Rally1 category could do with a few more competitors, this is not the case in Rally2 which is overflowing.

40 of the 69 cars announced in Porto will be Rally2s. The WRC2 promises to be sumptuous. If Nikolay Gryazin, Nicolas Ciamin, Emil Lindholm and Kajetan Kajetanowicz will be absent, all the other candidates will be there. After skipping Croatia, Oliver Solberg will be back and he will face the Skodas of Fergus Greensmith. Lauri Joona, Pepe Lopez and that of Pierre-Louis Loubet who will begin a new challenge. Yohan Rossel will defend the colors of Citroën in the same way as Marco Bulacia. Several Toyota Yaris Rally2 will aim for the best places with Sami Pajari, Jan Solans or Roope Korhonen. Finally, Teemu Suninen will make his first appearance in WRC2 with his i20. The WRC2 regulars will be joined by Portuguese title contenders including Kris Meeke who could create a surprise. Two French amateurs will also attempt the adventure, Pierre Lafay (C3 Rally2) and Jean-Michel Raoux (Yaris Rally2) who will compete with Isabelle Galmiche.

WRC3 is a category that the Tricolores like. Of the 9 entered, there are 4 French with Tom Pieri, Mattéo Chatillon, Ghjuvanni Red and Tristan Charpentier.

Competitors will have 337,04 timed kilometers to cover with 22 special stages on the program.

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