By Pedro Calado, co-driver "This special stage starts on the road of the Golf Club, in a very fast area, with some bumps made deep, especially until we reach the Hotel do Santo curve. From there, we descend to the Fonte de Santo António area, with very technical and narrow areas, which requires extra care, especially if it is wet. The road from Ribeira de Machico to Portela and from there to Serragem (Santo), passing through the always spectacular "snail" of Portela, with a lot of driving and chained areas that requires a good knowledge of the section. Good tarmac and clean roadsides. The weather and fog can help to "mess up" tyre choices and can be decisive at this special stage of the race. This year we are doing the special stage in the morning and afternoon.".

It is with great satisfaction and pleasure that I address you, on behalf of the centenary Club Sports da Madeira, a warm welcome to Madeira and to the "Rali Vinho da Madeira", the international sporting event that most promotes the Madeira tourist destination and its secular and famous export product. It is the oldest motor rally event in Portugal, because it is enough to remember the first "Tour of the Island" to realise how it has always been lived and cherished by all Madeirans who, in a very unique way, positioned themselves on its narrow and winding roads to closely follow the challenges that were launched to drivers and their vehicles, to overcome the difficult orography and microclimate of the Island. This enthusiasm with which successive generations of Madeirans receive Rali Vinho da Madeira is maintained and renewed every year, which forces the organising committee to always maintain a high ambition in order to meet the expectations of our fans and continue to affirm all its history and prestige in the context of national and international motorsport. There is no other sporting event that perfectly combines the external promotion of the Region and intensifies its internal economic activity. It is enough to mention the contribution to the economy, measured not only by its media return generated, more than 12.7 million euros of AVE (Advertising Value Equivalency), by the revenues generated directly in stays and meals, by all competitors, their teams and companions, in addition to indirect taxes on consumption and the contracting of supply companies with tax headquarters in the Region. It is urgent to carry out a study on the strong impact that the Event has on the economy of Madeira, but there is no doubt that in an analysis of the cost / benefit ratio, Rali Vinho da Madeira is economically sustainable and a positive contribution to regional and municipal revenues. In sporting terms, Rali Vinho da Madeira 2023, scores points for the FIA European Rally Trophy, for the Portuguese and Coral Madeira Rally Championships and, this year, for the Peugeot Rally Cup Trophy Iberica, a mono-brand competition that will bring to Madeira, about 14 competitors to which four Madeiran teams will join, in what will be "another rally" within this edition of the event. To prove the prestige and international image of our rally, it is enough to go through the list of entries, not only for the high number of entries in an island competition, which surprised everyone, but also for the quality and the fact that we have several drivers who are former winners of the Rali Vinho da Madeira which, from the outset, will be decisive to have a lot of competitiveness on the roads of the region. President of Club Sports da Madeira and the Organising Committee of RVM 2023 José Paulo Fontes

Kris Meeke returns to Rali Vinho da Madeira after 13 years in a Hyundai i20N Rally2 "I have more grey hair, but I remember how hard my debut in 2009 was, especially in anticipating, in the reconnaissance, the speed at which we would pass in the race. In 2010 I was better but I gave up near the end with mechanical problems. It's a very beautiful place, a very traditional tarmac rally. Maybe even more difficult than Corsica because the road is wider and we can't have such precise notes. The goal for this year is a bit limited because I have a vague idea of the race and I don't remember the technical aspects. It will be like starting all over again. The Portuguese competitors know the race well, the Madeirans are very familiar with the route. It will be almost mission impossible to beat them. I'm going to fight thinking about the Portuguese championship. We'll see. I'll try to do my best because I really like the island". 44-year-old Kris Meeke started rallying in 2000 with a Peugeot 106 GTi. He was British junior champion in 2002 with a Ford Puma S1600 and in 2003 with an Opel Corsa S1600. His speed and driving style led to him being sponsored by Colin McRae. He has represented brands such as Peugeot in the IRC and Mini, Citroën and Toyota in the WRC, but his only outright title came in the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. He has worked on the development of several racing models.  In 2023 he replaced the late Craig Breen in the Hyundai Portugal team and is fifth in the CPR after winning two of his three races.

Bernardo Sousa returns with a Citroën C3 Rally2 to the Rali Vinho da Madeira, "a race in which I hope to have a growing result, according to the latest records. In 2023 the difficulties increase because the competition is bigger and very strong. However, given my last participations in the event, I will be more comfortable because I have a better knowledge of the race. Our main goal is to be in the top three of the Portuguese Rally Championship, something that, given what we have shown in the last races, is within our reach. I would also like to get on the absolute podium. In Madeira, the weather conditions are always very important and a stage and some new ground will reduce the advantage that the drivers in the local championship have. This is my first RVM with José Janela as co-driver and I may have to use new notes. Psychologically, this is my "home" race but in reality it is the one, in the national championship, in which I have fewer participations". Aged 36, Sousa made his rallying debut in 2005 with a Ford Escort RS MkII. His first full season was in 2006 with a Peugeot 206 S1600. He then moved on to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and it was with this car that he was in the PWRC for the first time in 2008. He remained in that championship until 2011, first with a Fiat Punto S2000 and then with a Ford Fiesta S2000. It was with the latter model that he was national champion in 2010. He is sixth in the Portuguese Rally Championship.

José Pedro Fontes will be competing in Rali Vinho da Madeira with his usual Citroën C3 Rally2 and he wants to "be on the podium and, if possible, fight to win. This is a rally that I like a lot and I was the last non-Madeira driver to win it. We will try to adopt a good pace and evaluate, stage by stage, where we are. In Machico we had a good run and we'll try to be strong again and go fast without, of course, devaluing the competition". Fontes is 47 years old and his first rallying experience came in 1997 with a Seat Ibiza GTi. Throughout his career he has represented brands such as Fiat or Renault and since 2015 he has defended the colours of Citroën. Winner of the Rali Vinho da Madeira in 2016, the year in which he also won the FIA ERT Iberian Rally Trophy, the driver has titles in several parts of motor sport and in rallying he was absolute national champion in 2015 and 2016 with a Citroën DS3 R5. He is third in the Portuguese Rally Championship.

Simone Campedelli returns to Rali Vinho da Madeira, "a competition I remember from my childhood when it was part of the European championship and many of my idols took part. It's a rally that makes me remember when I was just a fan. I have to thank the organisation and The Racing Factory, who allowed this to happen. Sportingly, I don't know what I can expect but I want to enjoy every moment I'm in the car. We'll give it our all and see, class by class, where we go. Everything is unknown. The only certainty is the great pleasure of being at the start". The 37-year-old Italian, who is driving the colours of Indian tyre manufacturer MRF with a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, made his debut in 2004 with a Citroën Saxo VTS. From then until 2009 he drove various versions of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Between 2010 and 2013 he was behind the wheel of front-wheel drive cars and, from then on, Peugeot 207 S2000, Ford Fiesta R5, VW Polo GTi R5 and, in recent years, Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. He regularly competes in the ERC, is the reigning Italian tarmac rally champion and has also won the junior title in 2011, the two-wheel drive title in 2012 and the 2007 dirt rally trophy in his country.