July 2021

Winning the two drive wheels

Rui Jorge Fernandes will be in the next Rali Vinho da Madeira with the ambition to “win the RC3 group and be the best amongst the two drive wheels. We would also like to be ahead as much as possible even if that means to meddle among some drivers with R5 vehicles. In this competition, there will be more rivalry and we will be watching closely João Silva, whose car is supposed to be from an inferior group, despite the fact that it’s a more recent car, having a similar potential of our Renault Clio R3T.  We did not make any changes in our vehicle but we had been very careful with our physical preparation, as this is a very demanding rally.” The 31 years old driver, Fernandes started this sports in 2008 with a Skoda Fabia TDi. He has been behind the wheel of different vehicles, namely Citroën Saxo, Citroën C2 R2, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. In 2019, he got his current vehicle, a Renault Clio R3T and last year became the Regional Champion of his level. In 2021, he stands out in the grouping of the Rally Championship Coral da Madeira.  

Trying to shine

Miguel Correia will be, for the fourth time, in Rali Vinho da Madeira, a competition that he hopes to “perform well, in the region of our sponsor. We will try to get the best standing in the board of the Portugal Rally Championship. This is a rally that demands great physical effort and we will try to have maximum focus from the beginning until the end. In each rally that I race, I am improving my knowledge. Still I am far from the other drivers and that, in a way, limits my standing. Nevertheless, we will try to shine. About to be 30 years old, Miguel Correia gave his first steps in the rallies in 2017, with a Renault Clio R3. In the following year, he kept the same vehicle and was the best of his category in the national championship of such sports. In his motorsport career, he drove a Ford Fiesta R5 and last year used a Skoda Fabia R5. In 2021, the vehicle that he is going to race is a Skoda Fabia Rally 2 Evo and he is the sixth in the CPR, after having been the third in the rally Terras d’ Aboboreira and fifth in Castelo Branco, with a withdraw in the middle of the Vodafore Rali de Portugal.  

Rally Facts: the well-known brands

For many years, the machines that win the Rali Vinho da Madeira are part of many young and older fans’ fiction, who locally follow the whole sport and the special stage show of motorsport in particular. A reason to chat and argue, the preference for a certain manufacturer ended up, for many times, being an influence for the purchase of a vehicle to be used in a daily basis. In Rali Vinho da Madeira, the most successful brand is Peugeot, with 10 victories, closely followed by Lancia, with 9. In the lowest place of the podium are the two manufacturers with 6 victories each, a Ford and a Porsche. Right behind is Fiat with 5 victories and Subaru, the best in 4 occasions. 4 manufacturers won twice: Ferrari, Opel, Toyota and Renault, as MG, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Triumph, NSU, BMW and Citroën only achieved the highest place at the podium once.  

Rally facts: the debut of Ford Fiesta Rally3

The next Rali Vinho da Madeira edition will have, driving its first kilometres in the Regional ground and driven by Caetanovich, the Ford Fiesta R3. Rally3 is a group with a new concept and wants to be the formula for young people who have driven until now the Rally 4 front traction, for the vehicles with all wheel traction. This model is the first to be eligible in this group, as it was developed by the Polish branch of M-Sport and had its first competitions in 2021.  Ford Fiesta Rally3 has an engine of 3-cylinder in line with 1.497 cc and debits about 215 horse power to 5.000 rpm and a binary of 400 NM to 3.500 rpm. The transmission is made through a 5-speed gearbox by Sadev and the front and rear differentials have limited slip.  The suspensions are by Reiger and allow three types of adjustment. The breaks are by Alcon and the rims used in tarmac are 17 inches. It has a weight close to 1.210 kg.  

Trying to have a great performance

Adruzilo Lopes is back to Rali Vinho da Madeira, “something I always do with great pleasure, as it is no secret that this is my favourite competition in the National Sports calendar. This will be my 18th time here and, due to the fact that I cherish so deeply this competition, I will do everything to reach, at least, 20 times. This year I obviously can’t aspire, unlike the previous years, to win this race, as this time I do not have a winning racing car. Nevertheless, I will have an interesting vehicle, a Fiat Grande Punto R3D, diesel but with a sequential box and great suspension. Behind the wheel of such car, I will commit myself to try to give the best performance to the many friends and fans I have in the Island. And hope to finish the rally quite happy. Adruzilo Lopes is 58 years old and started the rallies in 1988 with a Toyota Corolla GT. Then he drove a Mazda 323 4WD and a Citroën AX but it was mostly as part of the Portuguese Peugeot Team that he shone the most. Behind the wheel of models such as 306 Maxi and 206 WRC, he was the National Champion in 1997, 1998 and 2001. He has been active, as he has been driving very different vehicles and he is, in 2021, the current leader of the Rally of the North Championship.  

List of entries: Alexandre Camacho 1, Armindo Araújo 2, Miguel Nunes 3

Paulo Fontes, president of the Organizing Committee of Rali Vinho da Madeira, has published, this afternoon the list of entries for the event that is on the roads since 1959 by the Club Sports da Madeira. Including 50 competitors, the list has high quality, as it included no less than two World Champions of either level or category, a European Vice-Champion, seven National Champions and six Regional Champions in a list that a FIA priority driver is highlighted and nine have FPAK priority.  Adding the first standings and regular drivers of the National and International Championships of Madeira and Azores, the course directed by the clerk Pedro Melvill Araújo will be the stage of a vehicle debut, Renault Clio Rally4, nationally, and the first competing kilometres in the island of the models Subaru S14 WRC, Ford Fiesta Rally3 and Renault Clio Rally5. Rali Vinho da Madeira will be performed between the 5th and 7th August in 16 special stages that cross every municipality of Madeira Island. Below is the list:  aqui

A Calm Rally

In 2021, Gil Freitas decided to bet in a new vehicle, the Subaru S14 WRC, and should debut such car in the Rali Vinho da Madeira. The arrival process had a delay and, in such circumstances, the main goal “can only be to have fun. We will probably race the first kilometres with a car already in competition, as this type of vehicle demands a lot of specific tunings and only a few around the world can do it. Our team still does not know how to do it and we have been struggling to ensure the presence of a skilful technician in the Island. After all this turbulence, we want a calm rally, which can be used as a test and allows us to get to know the car better. Freitas started the rallies quite late, in 2013, and has given his first steps in the sports with Opel Kadett GT/E and Ascona 40. In the following year, he was behind the wheel of a Porsche and, except for the year 2017, when he drove a Citroen DS3 R5, he has been driving the German brand. In 2015, he was the National Champion of the RGT group. RVM will be his first competition in 2021.  

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