The 2025 Vodafone Rally de Portugal will see 95 teams at the start, including 12 in the top-tier Rally1 category and 55 in Rally2. It's the strongest and largest entry list of the WRC season! Four days of high emotion and spectacular action are in store, with tens of thousands of spectators expected across the 24 special stages in the Centre and North of the country.
The 58th edition of the event, taking place from 15 to 18 May, will feature 12 cars in the highly competitive Rally1 class, including one driven by Diogo Salvi, who will pilot a Ford Puma Rally1 as part of the M-Sport team. This marks the first time since 2012 that a Portuguese driver will compete in a top-category WRC car.
Every driver wants the Portuguese round on their rallying CV, so it’s no surprise that the 2025 edition features the most competitive and extensive line-up of the year, outshining the entries in Monte Carlo, Sweden, Safari, and the Canary Islands.
A total of 95 teams are entered for the Vodafone Rally de Portugal, including 13 Portuguese drivers — a significantly higher number than the 70 entered in Monte Carlo or the 63 in the Spanish round.
With 12 Rally1 cars at the start, thrilling action is guaranteed on the selective and demanding stages of the event, organised by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), and bolstered by another 55 Rally2 entries!
Reigning world champions Toyota will field four GR Yaris Rally1 cars in official livery for Elfyn Evans, Sébastien Ogier, Kalle Rovanperä, and Takamoto Katsuta. Only the first three, however, will score points for the manufacturers' championship. The Gazoo Racing line-up is a showcase of rallying excellence, featuring eight-time world champion Ogier, two-time champion Rovanperä, and current championship leader Evans. Last year’s WRC2 champion Sami Pajari will also compete in a factory-spec GR Yaris, entered by Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT2.
Hyundai Motorsport has entered three i20 N Rally1 cars for world champion Thierry Neuville, Ott Tänak, and Adrien Fourmaux — all eligible to score points for the manufacturers' standings.
British team M-Sport Ford brings an expanded line-up to Portugal. Alongside factory drivers Grégoire Munster and Josh McErlean, Ford Puma Rally1 cars will also be driven by Latvian Martinš Sesks and Portugal’s own Diogo Salvi, making his debut in a top-tier WRC car.
The WRC2 category is even more competitive this year. In Portugal, 56 drivers are registered, promising an exhilarating battle. Among the front-runners are Oliver Solberg (Toyota GR Yaris), Gus Greensmith (Skoda Fabia RS), Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Toyota GR Yaris), Nikolay Gryazin (Skoda Fabia RS), Jan Solans (Toyota GR Yaris), and brothers Yohan and Léo Rossel (Citroën C3), although several other contenders could also challenge for victory.
Of particular note is the participation of Kris Meeke (Toyota GR Yaris) and Dani Sordo (Hyundai i20 N), two former WRC drivers now competing in the Portuguese Championship in Rally2 cars. This category also features Portugal’s top drivers: Armindo Araújo (Skoda Fabia RS), Ricardo Teodósio (Toyota GR Yaris), José Pedro Fontes (Citroën C3), Pedro Meireles (Skoda Fabia RS), Pedro Almeida (Skoda Fabia RS), and Gonçalo Henriques (Hyundai i20 N), among others, all aiming for national points while showcasing their talent against the world’s rallying elite.
The rally consists of three legs and 24 special stages, totalling 344.5 km against the clock. This year’s key additions come in the first leg — the longest of the rally — with the new Águeda/Sever do Vouga and Sever do Vouga/Albergaria-a-Velha stages. The second leg sees the return of the Vieira do Minho stage. Before the action begins in earnest, competitors will tackle the Shakedown in Baltar to finalise their car setups.