It’s been almost three weeks and we’re back in faraway Portugal. Both the Portuguese main championship and the promo championship run over nine rounds and there’s plenty of action. Of course, this is possible because the climate in this country allows racing almost all year round. In addition, Portugal is not a small country and its outline allows for very different regions, which leads to completely different rallies. This is exactly what we will experience this time. Fafë, which took place a few weeks ago, has very specific special stages, and the timing of the beginning of spring almost guarantees a considerable amount of humidity and wind. It’s probably not much fun to watch this rally during that weather. And now, three weeks later, the competitors will find very different conditions as they move from the north to the south, where instead of rain and mud they can expect heat, sun and extremely loose gravel with lots of dust. Just like in the north, there will be mountains, rocks and all the other things that can spoil the race very quickly. These are the conditions in the far south of Europe and in Portugal.
Since Domingos Sport is taking care of the Lithuanian team’s car in Portugal, it is enough for the Lithuanian team to fly to Portugal and prepare for the competition. Without the help of Domingos Sport, this Portuguese journey would not have been possible. The same three Portuguese crews will also carry the N5 flag. One of their promo champions – Adruzilo Lopes with the Škoda Fabia N5, who was the fastest in Fafe. He is followed by Miguel Carvalho, who is trying to tame the new Hyundai i20 N5, and João Araújo, who is driving a Ford Fiesta N5. As you’d expect, it’s the N5 cars that are playing the first violins in the promo championship. We hope to see more of them as the season progresses.
The Casinos do Algarve Rally event not only includes the Promo championship but also the main stage of the Portuguese championship, so there will be no shortage of competition. Although guests from Spain or Colombia will not be coming to this rally, the entries of Kris Meeke, Armindo Araújo and Ricardo Teodósio in the list of participants say that the battle will be serious.
The Casinos do Algarve Rally is one of the oldest and most prestigious motorsport events in Portugal, having been held since 1970. This competition is promoted by the Algarve region itself as a great tourist off-season event. As previously mentioned, the roads in the mountains are twisty, the fine loose gravel is slippery and when it’s dry, it’s terribly dusty. After looking at the weather forecasts, it’s clear that the competitors won’t be stuck in the mud like in Fafe, but in a lot of dust. The format of the competition is similar to Fafe – practice starts on Friday morning, followed by qualifying runs to decide the starting positions and a shakedown. From there, the crews head west, where two gravel special stages await them. They will regroup in Villa do Bispo and drive back to the rally headquarters, with a stopover in Lagos, where the city stage will take place. Friday can be described as very touristy, as there are only 14 kilometers of special stages and a few hundred kilometers of liaison. Saturday is much simpler – three special stages, service and the same three SS’s again. Two for 10 kilometers and one for 24 kilometers long. At the end of the rally, one more formality awaits the participants – a trip to the city of Portimao, famous among motorsport fans, where a show special stage is organized for the spectators, where the time is not measured. This kind of tribute to the spectators, which also allows the participants to enjoy themselves without fear of losing seconds, is not a rare phenomenon in this region.
| Nr. | Driver | Co-driver | Car | Team | Class | |||
| 101. |  | Adruzilo Lopes | | Paulo Leones |  | Škoda Fabia N5 | P4-17 | |
| 102. | | Miguel Carvalho | | António Reis |  | Hyundai i20 N5 | P4-17 | |
| 104. | | João Araújo | | Luís Araújo |  | Ford Fiesta N5 | P4-17 | |
| 105. |  | Martynas Samsonas | | Ervinas Snitkas | | Škoda Fabia N5 | Samsonas Motorsport | P4-17 |
