The FIA World Rally Championship operates on a global scale, which means when it takes place in Portugal, there is a group who find themselves at home.
The Portuguese stages have been an iconic part of the WRC for decades, so it’s no surprise that local talent has worked hard to be a part of it, and those people are spread far and wide within the championship.
Hyundai Motorsport alone employs eight Portuguese nationals, of which five are employed to work as engineers, keeping the hard-worked i20s in top condition.
In the Volkswagen Motorsport camp you’ll find three Portuguese mechanics working hard on Latvala’s Polo WRC, while Joao Passos works behind the scenes on matters such as the recces and the weather mapping.
A further three hard-working locals can be found at M-Sport. One serves as a mechanic, another is charged with logistics and driving while the third is one of Ott Tanak’s dedicated engineers.
It’s no secret that the country of Portugal holds rally close to its heart, and the dedication of this exceptional talent further cements that dedication.
One of the most important elements of success on the Vodafone Rally de Portugal is tyre choice; in recent years, tyre choice and management has been one of the biggest talking points and major influences on the outcome of the event.
The tyres manufacturers – Pirelli, Michelin, Hankook and DMACK – accordingly take their trade seriously. Pirelli, for example, has some 600 tyres prepared for the nine to ten cars running on its products this weekend.
A spokesman for Korean manufacturer Hankook, said; “This year, the stages seem to be slightly softer than last year. This might be because there was rain in the area of the rally the week before.
“If the ambient temperature remains slightly lower than last year, then the softer tyre might work better. It may be a case of soft tyres in the morning and harder examples in the afternoon.
“However, if the temperature rises past around 25 degrees C, then drivers using the soft tyres will probably begin to have problems.”
The current weather forecast suggests Friday could be the warmest day, with temperatures expected to reach low to mid-20s while cooler days on Saturday and Sunday – 19 and 18 deg respectively – are predicted. There is currently a 50% chance of rain on Saturday night, which could affect the stages for the final leg of the rally.