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.

Ricardo Sousa returns to Rali da Madeira with ‘the best possible result’ in mind. I only competed in the race in 2023 and loved it. So, expectations are high and we are very excited. The competition will be very strong and our opponents will also have the advantage of knowing the route well. However, I hope we can fight for the top places. In this rally, the weather conditions are always uncertain, and it would also be good if there were no surprises. We will use our experience from 2023 and change the way we work in order to find a good basis for a rally that is different from those we usually participate in." Sousa is 30 years old and started rallying in 2015 with a Citroën DS3 R1. With that same car, he was Portuguese junior champion in 2017 and, already with a Peugeot 208 R2, national junior champion in 2020. Since 2021, he has been driving the current Peugeot 208 Rally4. He is the current leader of the Portuguese Two-Wheel Drive Championship and also of the Peugeot Rally Cup Portugal.

Sandro Teixeira sets off for Rali da Madeira “taking the championship into account, but determined to fight for the best positions in the two-wheel drive category. In this race, we will also be part of the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica, where we would also like to be among the leaders. We will try to stay ahead in this rally, in which new opponents are coming in from outside, and we will have to see how they evolve and set new benchmarks. Basically, it will be an even greater challenge, which I hope will go well for everyone”. At 40 years of age, Sandro Teixeira made his rally debut in 2022 with a Toyota Yaris. Later that year, he switched to a Citroën C2 R2, which he used until the end of last season. He always achieved good results within the class and in 2024 he was runner-up in the Eng. Rafael Costa Trophy. This season he is at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 Rally4 and leads the Madeira championship for two-wheel drive vehicle users.

Carlos Ferreira will be competing in Rali da Madeira with his usual Opel Corsa Rally4. The goal is to "reach the finish line without any mishaps. However, we are always concerned with being in a good position in the standings. We also want a good position in the championship. Not so much in the two-wheel drive category, where it is difficult to move up, but in the RC4 group. This is also a race where we have opponents from outside, with whom and whose cars we can compare ourselves. It requires good physical and psychological training, it is more laborious and I will still have to worry about helping my daughters. It's a pity that Boaventura didn't come back..." Carlos Ferreira is 45 years old and made his rally debut just two years ago with a Citroën DS3 R1. He then drove a Peugeot 306 S16 and a Peugeot 208 R2, the car with which he finished the 2023 season and used in all his races in 2024. In 2025, he is at the wheel of an Opel Corsa Rally4, which made its debut in the last event of last year's championship. Ferreira is currently in second place in the regional two-wheel drive championship and the RC4 group.

The 66th edition of the race organised by Clubs Sports da Madeira debuts a new name, Rali da Madeira. This is the third name the event has had since its creation. A history of promotional and/or commercial imperatives as well as trends. The race was born in 1959 as part of the desire to promote the destination and adopted the name Volta à Ilha da Madeira em Automóvel (Tour of Madeira Island by Car). In an internationally French-speaking world, it was fashionable to adopt and translate the famous ‘Tour’ from other places, and the very idea of a tour of Madeira attested to a road network that, not long ago, allowed road traffic around the island and connected all the municipalities. With the participation of national drivers, the event took the name of the destination to the whole of Portugal right from its debut. The race gained international fame and all Madeirans knew it simply as A Volta. However, the paradigm changed and the rally became part of the European championship for the sport. With even greater international repercussions, it was decided to promote one of Madeira's most sought-after products, its wine. In 1982, a year of transition, the race had a double name, but in 1983 it became known as Rali Vinho da Madeira. Here too, the trend that was prevalent throughout the world at the time, in which alcoholic beverages were still associated with the world of motor racing, was followed. In 2025, we will have Rali da Madeira. This change aims to take the event to new heights, reinforcing its international prestige and its impact on the regional economy and the promotion of tourism in Madeira. This is also an international trend, with events changing the names they grew up with and became known by to ones that represent a region or country. It also gives them the name they often had outside the island. For the people of Madeira, it will be a new exercise in adaptation. In their many conversations about the rally, after suppressing ‘A Volta’ for ‘Vinho Madeira’, now it will be time to forget the ‘Wine’. At least in those conversations...