"Rally Talks," an initiative that has been delving deeper into various aspects of Rali da Madeira, finishes its final day tomorrow, July 28th. The final topic will be "The different functions and elements in the Rally," promising an enriching discussion on the behind-the-scenes nature of rally organisation. The panel will be moderated by Duarte Lagos, and will feature Guilherme Mimoso, Technical Commissioner, and a representative from the Public Security Police. Together, they will explore the crucial role of the various team stakeholders in organising the rally, with a special focus on ensuring everyone's safety and promoting competitiveness. The session previous to the last one, held today, went into the fascinating world of rally car preparation with the theme "What's Behind a Rally Car." The discussion featured testimonies from Augusto Ramiro, from the ARC team, and Duarte Junio, from FB Competições, two professionals with extensive experience in the field. The crucial role of these specialists in vehicle preparation was emphasized. With technological advancements, their experience becomes crucial to optimizing car performance, taking into account not only the type of vehicle, but also the profile and preferences of each driver. Tomorrow, the final session of "Rally Talks" promises to conclude this series of debates with an in-depth analysis of the complexity and dedication required to organise such a dynamic sporting event as Rali da Madeira. The event will be broadcast live on various platforms via Streamadeira.

We are in the week of the irresistible road trip for the Madeiran public to another edition of our motor racing event, now called “Rali da Madeira”. The stage is set and the eyes of the fans are already buzzing around the Service Park and the passage of the teams and cars through technical checks. It is a game of precision full of variables. From tyre set-up to the smallest technical adjustments. From the skills of the driver to those of the navigator. Each team is an orchestra, which needs to be in tune to compete with its direct opponents to the thousandth of a second.Added to this game of precision is the spectacular nature of each competition car passing by and the excitement it generates in the public, who for generations – since the 1960s – have gone in large numbers to the roads of our beautiful island every year, with a significant impact on boosting the local economy. This edition presents, as we all know, important changes, based on the renewed ambition of the organisation – Club Sports da Madeira – regarding the international prestige of Rali Vinho da Madeira, which is being followed, as it should be, by my Executive. Thus, the 66th edition of Madeira's premier motor racing event, which is unquestionably an icon of national and international motor racing, will now be called “Rali da Madeira”, benefiting from significant financial support from the Regional Government, with a view to aligning resources with the organisation's objectives in order to strengthen the emblematic image of the now “Rali da Madeira” as one of the best asphalt races in Europe. There is no rally without the undeniable passion of the Madeiran public. Therefore, every year I renew my vows that we may enjoy our rally enthusiastically and always safely.    

Kris Meeke returns, now in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, to Rali da Madeira, a "difficult event. I don't have much experience on the island, especially since I only did one special stage in 2023. Last year we had a problem in the super-special stage, but fortunately we made it to the finish. We only have one year's experience, but let's see what we can do. The car is fantastic for me, and I've loved driving the Toyota this year. We've only done one rally on asphalt, Castelo Branco, and it went well. We're hopeful for a good result, but the Madeira drivers and Campedelli are hard to beat. A podium finish would be a good chance. The race will be difficult, but we'll enjoy it to the fullest." Briton Meeke turned 46 about three weeks ago and made his rally debut in 2000 with a Peugeot 106 GTi. A driver "sponsored" by Colin McRae, he drove S1600s in the JWRC between 2003 and 2006. He returned to the international spotlight in 2009, driving for Peugeot, and driving the 207 S2000 to the IRC title. Between 2015 and 2019, he competed in the WRC representing Citroën and Toyota, winning four rallies. The 2024 national champion, he is currently driving for Toyota and leads the Portuguese Rally Championship after winning in Fafe, Algarve, and Terras d'Aboboreira.

José Pedro Fontes returns to Rali da Madeira in a Citroën C3 Rally2. The driver intends, "once again, to fight for the overall victory in the event and also in the national championship. However, I believe that this edition, with an excellent entry list, should be one of the most competitive. In addition to the local drivers, always favourites, we will have several drivers from the Portuguese Rally Championship, as well as foreigners and "world champions" with experience on the track. I always come to Madeira with great motivation because, it's no secret, this is my favourite asphalt event." The Sports & You team boss is 49 years old and has experienced almost every motorsport discipline. He made his rally debut in 1997 with a Seat Ibiza GTi. He has represented brands such as Fiat and Renault and has driven for Citroën since 2015. He was national champion in 2015 and 2016 driving a Citroën DS3 R5. Last year, he also won the FIA Iberian Rally Trophy and, for the only time, Rali da Madeira. His results this year haven't been the best, and he currently sits eighth in the CPR.

Vasco Diogo Silva returns to Rali da Madeira with the Renault Clio Rally4 and intends to "lead the two-wheel drive team. There will be more than 25 competitors in this highly competitive category. Before the rally, we will test new MRF tires, whose potential we still don't know but which we hope will improve our performance. This is a longer event, and we will strive to be consistent from start to finish. Some of our visiting competitors have been here before and know the roads, so it's normal for us to have many more names in the front group. With uncertain weather, a wrong tire choice will be enough to compromise the result. But it will be the same for everyone; some luck is needed..." Vasco D. Silva is 33 years old and made his rally debut in 2015 with a Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9. The following year, he switched to a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, a model he drove until 2018, the season in which he won the Production category of the Madeiran championship. He then took a break from his career to return last season with his current Renault Clio Rally4, the car with which he won the two-wheel drive category of the local championship.

Drivers, co-drivers, and representatives of the teams registered for the 2025 edition of the Rali da Madeira have been passing through the event's Operations Centre since early morning to collect all the materials and documentation required by the regulations. This crucial stage marks the official start of pre-race activities. Documents with essential information, plaques with the number assigned to each team on the entry list, stickers with regulatory advertising, official RM badges, and exclusive merchandising created for this 2025 edition are being distributed. This material delivery operation continues throughout the day and is expected to conclude around 6:00 p.m., restarting tomorrow.

Plaza Madeira hosts the second session of "Rally Talks" today at 6 p.m. on the upper floor. The debate will focus on the behind-the-scenes nature of television broadcasts, with the presentation "What Happens Behind the Cameras in Rally Broadcasts." Paulo Almada, a sports journalist for RTP Madeira, will reveal how the entire complex machinery is orchestrated to ensure that images and commentary reach viewers' homes with the highest quality during the rally. This complex work involves dozens of professionals, spanning dozens of hours of broadcasting. You're invited to watch the talks and get up close to driver João Silva's Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, used in the 2024 season and the beginning of the 2025 season.