In line with previous years, the 2013 Vodafone Rally de Portugal will continue on its path of continual evolution, resulting in a set of important changes for next year’s event.
The 2013 event, to be held between April 11 and 14, will again be the fourth round of the FIA World Championship Rally (WRC), following Monte Carlo, Sweden and Mexico and counts for no less than 11 titles, including the WRC, WRC2 Cup and the Portuguese Rally Championship.
In broad terms, the rally retains the format of the latest editions, with three days of intense competition on the roads of the Algarve and Baixo Alentejo regions promising excitement and drama right up to the finish podium.
With the recce held on 9 and 10 April, the Qualifying Stage (April 11) returns to the scenic Vale do Judeu for establishing the starting order for the first leg, where drivers will select their road position during a ceremony in the service park at 13.00hrs.
Later that day, and for the first time since its return to the WRC, Vodafone Rally of Portugal will feature a ceremonial start in the magnificent setting of the Vilamoura Marina, echoing the 2005 and 2006 editions, which successfully ran as candidate events ahead of the rally’s return to the WRC.
1ST AND 2ND SECTIONS: FROM ALGARVE TO LISBON
The competitive start of the event (April 12) includes the first two sections of the rally, with five special stages: Mu (20.32 km) is a variant of Felizes stage with a different final section. Ourique (18.32km) uses roads that formed other stages in previous years, including Santa Clara and both are run twice before crews head to Lisbon.
The Lisbon Super Special Stage, which will be held once again at the Praça do Império, in the Jerónimos Monastery and Centro Cultural de Belém setting, will benefit from a new schedule intended to allow a greater spectacle in the capital. The start of the stage (run in reverse order) will take place at 18.15hrs, following the recce, carried out in the competing cars, as well as a classic car event. At 18.00hrs, there will be an autograph session featuring the main drivers.
3RD AND 4TH SECTIONS: A NEW COMBINATION
The second competitive day (Saturday April 13) is also the longest in terms of competitive distance, with no less than 158.54km and includes a new combination of special stages.
The day begins with the 31.12km Santana da Serra stage, without any changes from this year’s event and continues with Vascão and its impeccable 25.37km. Loulé, now 22.78km in length, is run in the opposite direction from previous years and all three will be used twice during the day.
5TH AND 6TH SECTIONS: AN EXHILARATING POWER STAGE
The last day of the event - Sunday, April 14 - promises high drama. After the unchanged 21.52km Silves stage comes arguably the biggest change, and challenge, of the event: The new Almodôvar stage, 52.30km in length, will be one of the longest gravel European stages of the entire WRC.
Bringing together the best of the old Ourique and Almodôvar stages, this test will complete the 2013 Vodafone Rally de Portugal, forming the Power Stage of the event as its last run, where the three top times will collect extra points.
In total, the route covers 1630.92km, with 15 stages over 386.73km, which represents 23.71% of the total distance.
Continuing on the exceptional gravel roads of the Algarve and Baixo Alentejo regions and retaining the rally base at the Algarve Stadium, Vodafone Rally de Portugal keeps the attributes that have contributed to its success and builds on these, once again evolving the challenge and facilities that it has become famous for.
The event is organized by Automóvel Club de Portugal, with the sponsorship of Vodafone Portugal, BP Ultimate and Hertz, the institutional support of Turismo de Portugal, Instituto do Desporto de Portugal,Instituto Geográfico do Exército, City Halls of Lisbon, Almodôvar, Faro, Loulé, Ourique and Silves, Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Instituto de Gestão do Património Arquitectónico e Arqueológico and Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente and the support of Konica Minolta, Brisa and Fonte Vive. The daily sports newspaper A Bola is the "media partner".