The WRC arrives at the 57th Vodafone Rally de Portugal with four different winners in the first four events of the season and just six points separating the leader, Thierry Neuville (Hyundai), from Elfyn Evans (Toyota), the runner-up. With his win in Croatia, Sébastien Ogier jumped into the top five of the championship.
After Monte Carlo, Sweden, Kenya and Croatia, the Automóvel Club de Portugal event opens the European gravel phase and promises spectacle in the Central and Northern Portugal stages.
The season has seen different winners in the first four event so far, with Hyundai Shell Mobis and Toyota Gazoo Racing sharing the honors: Thierry Neuville won in Monte Carlo, Esapekka Lappi triumphed on the ice of Sweden, Kalle Rovanperä returned to winning ways in Safari - Kenya and Sébastien Ogier did the same on the asphalt of Croatia.
Neuville arrived in Croatia with a six-point lead over Evans and left Zagreb with exactly the same advantage over the Welshman, with both being beaten by the returning Sébastien Ogier. The eight-time World Champion had been second in Monte Carlo and, with his victory in Croatia, jumped to fifth place in the World Championship, tied with another Toyota driver, Takamoto Katsuta.
One of the good surprises this season has been Adrien Fourmaux, this year promoted to M-Sport Ford leader and who has already taken his first two podiums in the WRC (Sweden and Kenya), currently occupying third place in the championship, although already 27 points behind Neuville.
Tänak’s moment of truth
On the other hand, Ott Tänak arrives in Portugal looking for confidence and his first podium this season, as the Estonian hasn't shown the same pace as Neuville and is only in fourth place, 33 points behind his teammate.
Winner in Portugal for the last two years, Rovanperä also returns to the championship at the ACP event, as does Dani Sordo, who has yet to compete this season with Hyundai.
In WRC2, Yohan Rossell (Citroën) and Oliver Solberg (Skoda) are tied at the top of the World Championship, three points ahead of the winner in Croatia, Nikolay Gryazin (Citroën). In the WRC3 Rally3, the leader is Estonian Romet Jürgenson (Ford).