Forty-one teams signed up for Rali da Madeira Shakedown, which will take place tomorrow, July 31st, between 8:30 and 11:00 am on Estrada dos Cardais, between Água de Pena and Santo da Serra, and ER234. The Shakedown is an official testing session that, even though timed, has no impact on the race's outcome. However, it allows competitors to experience a route properly prepared for the competition and with characteristics similar to those they will encounter in the coming days along the 13 stages that make up the route. With a dedicated Service Park at the Água de Pena Sports Park, it is a perfect opportunity to make final adjustments to the car setup and, in some cases, to better connect with new cars. The list can be found here.

All documentation contained and made available in the Official Bulletin of the 66th edition of Rali da Madeira is once again available on the official event website, www.ralidamadeira.com, and on the Sportity app. This app is free and available on both the App Store and Google Play. Once installed on your mobile device, users must join the event channel organised by the Club Sports da Madeira using the password RMADEIRA25. Internally, this system also allows competitors to receive electronic notifications from the Clerk of the Course and Stewards, confirming receipt.

Rali da Madeira begins tomorrow with the initial administrative and technical scrutineering. The administrative scrutineering, during which all documents related to the competitors' participation are reviewed, will take place between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM at Praça CR7. Meanwhile, the initial technical scrutineering, the session in which the technical commissioners assess the vehicles' compliance with their homologation form and their roadworthiness, will take place between 5:15 PM and 9:30 PM at Pier 6 in the Port of Funchal. Both the administrative and technical scrutineering sessions are usually attended on-site by many enthusiasts of the sport, who will not only have another opportunity to be close to the drivers and co-drivers who will liven up Madeira's roads over the course of three days, but also to the machines whose sound and speed will be a dream come true.

Since the beginning of each year, this is a moment and date eagerly awaited by all Madeirans. The first weekend of August, when, once again, the machines, drivers and co-drivers, who are the core of a new and popular edition of Rali da Madeira, this time the 66th edition, take to the road. And as has always been the rule, there is no doubt that this new edition of this historic race has everything to honour its historic and popular heritage and, once again, be a great success, attracting thousands of Madeirans to the road to watch the stages, with all the necessary precautions and in a healthy and community spirit of conviviality for this sport, which is, moreover, the hallmark of this very important and historic European, national and regional motor sport event. This is a sport and an event supported by the Funchal City Council. This support is provided with complete transparency and rigour, complying with all the rules that govern municipal government action. I would also like to remind you that one of the events that attracts the most spectators is, without doubt, the super special stage on Avenida do Mar. It is with this event, right in the heart of the city, that Rali da Madeira begins. I must emphasise that Rali da Madeira is an important sporting event and even serves as a promotional vehicle for the Autonomous Region of Madeira and Funchal, and also has a tremendous economic impact, particularly at the level of municipalities and localities, as can be seen from the dynamics surrounding the places where the event takes place. It is always worth mentioning and praising the local authority's satisfaction with the fact that environmental sustainability is a major concern for the organisation. For this very reason, and as we all live in a time when environmental sustainability and reducing our ecological footprint is one of the most important legacies we can leave for future generations, I also call on the thousands of spectators at the 66th edition of Rali da Madeira to cooperate, particularly with regard to ‘waste production’, specifically by reducing the use of plastic and taking the utmost care to dispose of it in the appropriate containers. I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight the competence and professionalism of Rali da Madeira organisation, which does everything to make it an example at an international level, with the support of the Regional Government, but also of the municipalities, including the Funchal City Council. I am certain that, in this edition, Madeira will once again demonstrate its excellent organisational skills, as well as its full potential and infrastructural qualities, which make us a region with all the conditions to host and organise major events, as we do on several occasions, one of which is undoubtedly Rali da Madeira I would like to conclude by addressing a few words to our audience, who are extraordinarily passionate about the sport, reiterating the importance of civility and safety, so that, together, we can make this edition of Rali da Madeira another great success. Finally, to all the teams and all the participants, but also to all those who participate and collaborate, often on a voluntary and passionate basis, so that our Rali da Madeira is always a success, I wish you an excellent rally and express my personal and heartfelt gratitude for everything you give to this sport. Cristina Pedra Mayor of Funchal

Alexandre Camacho is driving a Hyundai i20N Rally2 in Rali da Madeira and intends to "improve on the performance we had in Calheta. In that rally, we fell far short of expectations, and we have to be more competitive, further ahead than we achieved in the race. Therefore, we can't set a specific goal or position, but I think it will be very difficult to fight for victory. We improved the car in testing and will give our best. However, this year we will have many drivers with competitive cars. In Madeira, we already have three drivers fighting for the lead, and this rally will also feature CPR drivers and very strong foreign drivers..." The driver, navigated by Pedro Calado, is 45 years old and his first rally took place in 2001 in a Toyota Yaris. He won the FIA European Rally Trophy in 2018 and has been a regional champion seven times: in 2008 and 2009 with a Peugeot 207 S2000, in 2015 in a Porsche 997 GT3, in 2017 in a Peugeot 208 T16, in 2018 and 2019 driving a Skoda Fabia R5, and in 2023 using a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo. With six wins, he holds the record for most victories in Rali da Madeira.

Diego Ruiloba returns to Rali da Madeira and his goal is "to win the event. The rally went well for us in 2024, and we won. This year, our responsibility is greater, because anything less than victory will only worsen our result. We must try our best, because we don't want to drop or worsen. We have the advantage of knowing the route better, but on the other hand, there is a lot of competition from local drivers, who know the event perfectly, and others like Campedelli, who are very strong. This is a beautiful rally, on a spectacular island, and we can only be grateful for the opportunity they gave us to be here." The Spaniard is 24 years old and made his debut in 2019 with a Peugeot 208 1.2. In 2021, he switched to the wheel of a Suzuki Swift and won the Spanish trophy for that model. The following year, driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, he won the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica. Since then, he has represented Citroën in a C3 Rally2. In 2024, he achieved his first overall victories, notably at Rali da Madeira. This season, he has competed in several WRC events in the WRC2 Challenger.