Adrien Fourmaux off gives Sebastien Ogier rally lead
Reigning world rally champion Sebastien Ogier ended Friday leading Rally Portugal after a wild off inflicted a double puncture for Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux. Ogier had started Friday’s leg struggling to extract the desired pace from his Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, but changes made during the midday remote service sparked an afternoon resurgence. The nine-time world rally champion […]
Organisers investigate major stage security breach
Rally Portugal organisers have opened an investigation to understand why two unauthorised vehicles entered a live stage forcing organisers to red flag the test. The second pass through the famous Arganil stage was halted after two separate incidents where unauthorised vehicles had entered the stage while it was live. The first incident occurred when Toyota’s […]
Hyundai on top as overnight leader Oliver Solberg loses time
Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux reclaimed the Rally Portugal lead after overnight leader Oliver Solberg struggled for pace across Friday morning’s loop of stages. Fourmaux started the day 3.4 seconds behind Solberg, but was able to leapfrog the Toyota driver in the opening stage of Friday’s mammoth seven-stage itinerary. Fourmaux delivered a strong pace across the three stages, […]
Oliver Solberg grabs Rally Portugal lead as Hyundai shows early speed
Toyota’s Oliver Solberg moved into an early lead at Rally Portugal at the end of the opening leg of the first pure gravel event of the World Rally Championship season. Solberg navigated through two traditional rough gravel stages and an asphalt super special with a 3.4s margin over Hyundai’s Adrien Fourmaux. Toyota’s Sébastien Ogier recovered […]
Why WRC drivers expect Portugal to deliver a rally that has “everything”
Rough gravel stages, long periods without service, changeable weather and increased competition will make Rally Portugal a challenge that will have “everything”, according to World Rally Championship drivers. The first pure gravel rally of the season looks set to offer up one of the biggest tests of 2026 for crews and teams, and perhaps the […]
Hyundai brings WRC engine upgrade to Rally Portugal
Hyundai has brought an upgraded engine to Rally Portugal in a bid to close the gap and take the fight to World Rally Championship rivals Toyota. The Korean marque has struggled to extract pace consistently from its i20 N Rally1 car, while Toyota has seemingly taken a step forward, having won all five rounds of […]
How Ott Tanak can help Toyota’s WRC 2027 car development
Ott Tanak taking on a role to help develop Toyota’s 2027 World Rally Championship car will provide useful information and reduce workload for the team’s current drivers, says Sebastien Ogier. Toyota has enlisted the services of 2019 world champion Tanak to help carry out valuable testing and develop the Japanese brand’s all-new car built to the […]
Why Hyundai’s WRC season “really starts” at Rally Portugal
The World Rally Championship’s first pure gravel rally of the season in Portugal this week is seen as an opportunity for Hyundai to ignite its 2026 campaign. Hyundai has been firmly on the back foot this season, having struggled to extract pace from an i20 N Rally1 that features a narrow operating window. The Korean […]
WRC signs new deal to race in Portugal until at least 2028
Portugal will continue to host a round of the World Rally Championship until 2028 at least after signing a new multi-year contract. Rally Portugal is one of the founding members of the WRC hosting a round since the inaugural championship season in 1973, and has only been absent from the schedule during a brief hiatus […]