Rúben Rodrigues will be participating in Rali da Madeira for the first time this year. The Azorean champion's goal is to "score as many points as possible for the national championship. We face all the difficulties of a debut in this rally with such specific classifications. But we are ready to give it our all. We have everything we need and we are motivated and confident. Being in Calheta was important because I was unfamiliar with the asphalt in Madeira. It was also very rewarding because we managed to set some interesting times. The rallies in Madeira require excellent terrain reconnaissance and precise notes, which is sometimes very difficult due to the number of tourists circulating during reconnaissance. It's a huge challenge." The Auto Açoreana driver is 40 years old and has been rallying since 2009, when he made his debut with a Citroën Saxo Cup. The driver's career was built ‘from scratch’ and in 2018 and 2019 he became the Azorean two-wheel drive champion at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 R2 and a Peugeot 208 Rally4. In 2021, he moved to the wheel of a Citroën C3 Rally2, achieving his first victory and also his first overall regional title. He would go on to become champion again in 2023 and 2024 with two versions of the Skoda Fabia, rally2 Evo and RS Rally2. In 2025, he is competing in the national championship and has already shown on several occasions the speed he so often displayed in the neighbouring archipelago.

Azorean Henrique Moniz makes his debut in Rali da Madeira and aims to “get to know the rally. In our first participation, we will be finding out things, but we obviously want to do well. We have been trying to enter this race for many years. We finally got the support we needed and want to enjoy it to the fullest. We want a good result, but we know absolutely nothing about the event. Our whole season has been a discovery, we have worked hard and, here and there, we have shown good pace. However, we are still a little below our best..." Moniz is 41 years old and competed in his first rally in 2006 with a Peugeot 106 S16. In 2009, he moved to a Citroën C2 R2, which he used until 2013. Then, in a Citroën DS3 R3T, he was the Azorean two-wheel drive champion in 2014 and 2015. Last year, he opted for the Peugeot 208 Rally4, which he is bringing to Madeira. In 2025, he decided to leave the neighbouring archipelago and is now competing in the CPR and the single-make competition for the model he drives. He is third in the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica, second in the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal and third in the Portuguese 2WD Rally Championship.

Paulo Mendes will start the next Rali da Madeira, "as always, trying to reach the finish line with the best possible result. Although we have been racing with this car for some time, we still have a lot to learn about it, and a race of this nature is great for drawing conclusions, discovering new things, and looking for new settings in terms of electronics, which is quite extensive in this model. Even in this context, I intend to do better than I did last year, when we had many problems and it was difficult to get the car to the finish line. We will try to enjoy the rally from start to finish, hoping that the weather conditions will be good. In Porsches, we cannot take tyres to change..." Paulo Mendes is 61 years old and competed in his first rally in 2014 with a Porsche 997 GT3. Over the years, he has combined hill climbs with rallies and is known for his fast performances, which are always determined by great consistency. He won the RGT class in the Madeira championship in 2021 and 2023. A year ago, he debuted his current car, a Porsche 992 GT3, the first model to be used in this category in Europe. Adapting a model designed for the track to rallies took some time, and the driver is still making several adjustments to his car.

Laura Ferreira is the driver of what is likely to be the only female entry in the 66th edition of Rali da Madeira. A race in which she intends to "reach the finish line. We're not going in with our eyes on the results. We have to forget about our crash in the Ribeira Brava Rally and regain our confidence in the car. We have to make the “ghosts” disappear... In this scenario, anything extra is welcome. First and foremost, we want everything to go well and a good rally for everyone. We hope to have good momentum and that we can overcome the many difficulties facing the competitors. We are taking extra care in preparing for the event as the stages are longer and the rally itself is more extensive. I'm going to make a dream come true!" Laura Ferreira is 26 years old and took her first steps in motorsport in 2023 with a Toyota Yaris. In the same car, last year she competed in hill climbs and two rallies. In 2025, she is behind the wheel of a Renault Clio Rally5, navigated by her sister Inês who, being younger, had to obtain special authorisation from the Portuguese Motor Racing and Karting Federation to hold a sports licence.  

This afternoon, the Regional Department of Economy and Club Sports of Madeira signed the programme contract for the organisation of the 66th edition of the Volta à Ilha da Madeira, now called the ‘Rali da Madeira 2025’. The Regional Government's financial contribution is 450,000 euros. This year's support has been increased and is justified by the fact that it is an ‘event of recognised international prestige in the world of motor sport, which projects the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) onto the circuits of major international competitions’ and represents one of the largest socio-sporting events in the RAM, with a direct impact on the local economy, particularly in the hotel, restaurant, commerce and services sectors, said the Regional Secretary for Economy, José Manuel Rodrigues. events in the RAM, promoting direct impacts on the local economy, particularly in the hotel, restaurant, commerce and services sectors, said the Regional Secretary for the Economy, José Manuel Rodrigues. The programme contract aims to ‘provide funding for an entertainment project that is recognised for its quality and strategic interest in the context of economic and tourism development policy’. The project will be implemented between July and August this year. Paulo Fontes, president of Club Sports da Madeira, recalled the multiplier effect of the Rali da Madeira. ‘Every euro invested last year multiplied by 20 times,’ he said, referring to a study conducted in 2024 that indicated that the impact of the motor race on the regional economy was around €10 million. ‘This year, RTP Madeira will ensure live coverage of all Rali da Madeira events, seven of them through RTP Internacional,’ revealed Paulo Fontes, who was pleased with the media coverage of the event and its impact on the international promotion of Madeira. The organisation ‘decided to accept all 97 registered drivers, but with increased responsibility for the safety of the race,’ warned Paulo Fontes, as with more drivers, the time to complete the special stages will be longer. The Regional Secretary for the Economy pointed out that the ‘Rally is a great sporting event, which brings thousands of people to our roads and strongly boosts the economy of the parishes and municipalities.’ José Manuel Rodrigues says that it is an event that ‘is already part of our regional identity,’ which is why the Regional Government has increased its support for the organising body. Rali da Madeira ‘is a structuring platform for territorial enhancement, attracting investment and stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation, promoting synergies between public and private entities, and strengthening the competitiveness of the regional economy,’ concluded the government official, with an appeal to spectators to watch the Rali da Madeira safely.    

Filipe Freitas returns to action in this Rali da Madeira and intends to “get back into the best possible rhythm. I would like to be ahead of the Porsches and also the RGT group, but that is more difficult. We have already seen that the Alpine is quite strong on Madeira’s asphalt and is also driven by a very fast driver. However, we will try our best and see where we stand in terms of the overall classification. Depending on our classification, we will be able to set new challenges and goals. Due to what happened in Machico, we were out of a few races, but I think we will quickly overcome any lack of pace”. Freitas is 53 years old and made his rally debut in 1998 with a Citroën AX GTi. In the following two years, he stood out in a single-brand competition with Citroën Saxo and then moved on to drive more competitive cars. He achieved his first overall victory in 2005 with a VW Golf IV Kit-Car. He was Madeira champion in 2013 with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X and in 2016 at the wheel of a Porsche 997 GT3. Since 2019, he has been using the current Porsche 991 GT3 and was regional champion of the group in 2020 and 2022.