Six rounds down and the battle for the Intercontinental Rally Challenge couldn’t be closer with Skoda Motorsport team-mates Juho Hanninen and Jan Kopecky separated by just three points at the top of the drivers’ standings prior to Sata Rallye Acores.
The gravel event, which takes place on Sao Miguel, the largest island of the Atlantic archipelago, joined the IRC for the first time last season and returns from 15-17 July with a largely unaltered route, which covers 226 kilometres over 19 stages through lush and stunning countryside.
Stages run over narrow gravel tracks that are lined by stone walls in places and pass between huge drops meaning there is little margin for error, despite the leading contenders describing the roads as largely medium-speed. To add to the challenge, several stages feature short Tarmac sections, which can catch out the unsuspecting driver due to the reduced grip they will encounter running on gravel-specification tyres.
Although the stages feature a sandy gravel surface, they do vary in terms of their layout. The Sete Cidades test in the west of the island, for example, runs around the rim of a non-active volcano, while the Grupo Marques superspecial stage, which is used on Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon, is based in a quarry. Although it is less imposing for the drivers, they are tasked with competing side-by-side through the course, which affords spectators excellent vantage points.
Crews will start in competition number order on leg one, meaning Kris Meeke, last year’s winner, will start first on the road for Thursday evening’s opening three stages, which are located northeast of Sao Miguel’s capital Ponta Delgada, where the permanent service park is housed.
On day two, competitors will start in rally order, albeit the top five runners after leg one will run in reverse order. The starting order for day three will be determined by the rally order after leg two.
Last year’s event, which ran in mid-May, was affected by heavy rainfall to the extent the final stage had to be cancelled following a torrential downpour. Although the island climate can trigger changeable conditions, the new July date should result in dryer and more predictable weather.
As well as battling for IRC points, competitors will also chase the Colin McRae IRC Flat Out Trophy for the first time. It will be handed to the driver producing the most spectacular performance in the spirit of the rallying legend, who lost his life in a helicopter accident in 2007.
The winner will be picked by a panel of judges consisting of Colin’s father Jimmy McRae, IRC Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas, and Eurosport’s Gilbert Roy. The trophy will be presented on all remaining rounds of this season’s IRC and is a key element of the new partnership between the IRC and Colin McRae Vision, which aims to improve health and education for children around the world.