Fans turn out for spectacular start to Rally de Portugal

Hundreds of fans turned out to witness the spectacular ceremonial start of this year’s Vodafone Rally de Portugal on the edge of the beautiful marina in Villamoura. The crews were waved over the start ramp by a host of VIPs from motorsport, tourism and local government ahead of the start of the actual competition tomorrow morning.

The evening began with a spectacular firework display over the Marina in Villamoura, just along the Algarve coast from Faro. President of the Automóvel Club de Portugal, Carlos Barbosa then welcomed the guests and fans before asking for a minute’s silence to mark the recent passing of Louis Pinto Freitas, the President of the Portuguese Motorsport Federation. This was followed by a rendition of the Portuguese National Anthem, performed by renowned singer Cuca.

Then came the competing cars, headed by the safety, or Zero, car, driven by Miguel Barbosa, son of the ACP President. Dani Sordo then led the crews over the ramp, in reverse of the start order for Friday. Sordo elected to start the event 13th on the road and as a result, was the first over the start ramp, to the delight of the gathered crowds.

The competitive action begins tomorrow morning, with two loops of two stages before the crews embark on a long road section to Lisbon for the now-familiar superspecial stage around the Praca do Imperio in the capitol.