Alex Español leads the two-wheel drive standings

The standings reserved for competitors are almost identical, at their highest, to those of the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica, as five drivers in Peugeot 208 Rally4s lead this category. Alex Español has been leading the way, followed by four other drivers from the neighbouring country. Iago Gabeiras, Giovanni Fariña, and Miguel Garcia are 7.4, 11.0, and 38.5 seconds behind, respectively. Fifth, Ukrainian Anton Korzun is also the best in the national championship, a race in which he is followed by Ricardo Sousa. Sixth in two-wheel drive, Vasco D. Silva and his Renault Clio Rally4 led the regional standings, ahead of Sandro Teixeira and the Peugeot 208 Rally4.

Paulo Mendes ahead the RGT

Paulo Mendes, driving the Porsche 992 GT3 that debuted a year ago in this same race, leads the RGT drivers. The Madeiran driver holds a 16.8-second lead over Belgian Joachim Wagemans, who is driving an Alpine A110 RGT. Third, Filipe Freitas, who was at the front of the field, hit the rear of his Porsche 991 GT3 and is now about a minute and a half behind the leader. Miguel Andrade, also in a Porsche 991 GT3, is fourth, well ahead of the drivers ahead of him in the standings.

José Camacho Leads Master Classification

José Camacho, driving a Skoda Fabia R5, leads the Master Classification, for drivers over 50, at the midpoint of Rali da Madeira. He holds a 4.5-second lead over second-placed Paulo Mendes in a Porsche 992 GT3, who, in turn, holds an 8-second lead over Rui Pinto, who sits at the bottom of an intermediate podium in his Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. Immediately behind him are Filipe Freitas and Miguel Andrade, both in Porsche 991 GT3s.

Diego Ruiloba Leads Rali da Madeira

Diego Ruiloba is the leader of Rali da Madeira after completing the second day of competition, organised by Club Sports da Madeira, which has been running since yesterday and continues until tomorrow. The Spanish driver in a Citroën C3 Rally2, who won the event in 2024, pushed the pace on both passes through Palheiro Ferreiro, the longest Special Stage of the program, and gained part of his advantage for the second and final stage of the event. The main challenger, 6.6 seconds behind the leader board, is João Silva, driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. He was in the lead from the start of the second section and has been trying to respond and challenge Ruiloba's new victory in the rally. The Madeiran driver, meanwhile, holds a 10.7-second lead over third-place finisher Simone Campedelli, driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, and is complaining about the extremely fast pace of the two men who are currently battling for victory. Miguel Nunes, also driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, has caught up with the leading drivers and is 2.6 seconds away from a podium finish. Behind him, Kris Meeke, in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, ran the longest in third place but suffered a puncture near the end of the day and dropped out of the top five. He recovered in a timed section to reach 4th place and is 1.4 seconds behind Armindo Araújo, the driver also following him in the Portuguese Rally2 championship standings. Miguel Caires is seventh after complaining of throttle issues in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 and holds a 7.2-second lead over José Pedro Fontes in a Citroën C3 Rally2. The top ten also includes two drivers in Hyundai i20N Rally2s: Alexandre Camacho and Dani Sordo. Rali da Madeira continues tomorrow with a double round of stages through Ponta do Sol, Calheta, and Rosário. The final podium will take place at 6:30 PM at Praça do Povo in downtown Funchal, the host city.

Kris Meeke punctures and drops out of the top 5

The second run through Palheiro Ferreiro, the longest stage of Rali da Madeira, brought profound changes to the event's standings. While Diego Ruiloba, driving a Citroën C3 Rally2, won the Special Stage again and extended his lead, now to 7.7 seconds, British driver Kris Meeke, who had been third in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, suffered a puncture, lost almost 40 seconds, and dropped out of the top five. João Silva, in another Toyota, maintains second place but is now trailed by Italian Simone Campedelli, in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, 5.8 seconds behind him. The Czech car is also used by the other two drivers in the top 5: Miguel Nunes, 6.6 seconds away from an intermediate podium finish, and Armindo Araújo, a little further back. The second day of Rali da Madeira also includes the second round through Santana and a trip to the Service Park.

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