José Camacho will be taking part in Rali da Madeira for the 42^nd consecutive time. The Skoda Fabia R5 driver approaches it “as if it were the first time, with the same enthusiasm. We want to give it our all, and to that end we’ve prepared down to the last detail. The Masters Championship hasn’t gone as well for us as it did in 2025, but it’s not easy competing in a first-generation RC2 car against drivers with newer cars, or even against Gil Freitas, whose Alpine is very competitive. We’re aware of the limitations, but we’re going to give it our all.

Over all these years, everything has changed – usually for the better – even me… I’ve kept up with all the developments and always stayed up to date. Forty years ago, everything was different. One thing that’s been lost is the friendship; today, everything is very individual and we lack that connection that used to exist between teams and even with other people involved in the sport. The differences are huge, but the costs are also very different. Of course, today’s cars are nothing like the ones I used at the start of my career. They’re much easier…”

At the age of 63, José Camacho made his rally debut in 1985 in a Ford Escort RS 2000. He later drove a Peugeot 205 GTi and it was in this model – in its 1.9-litre version – that he became a two-time Madeira rally champion in 1990 and 1991. He has since driven countless models and, although he has not competed regularly in the island championship, he has always lined up at the start of Rali da Madeira – which he will do for the 42^nd time this year – and holds the record for the most appearances in the event organised by Club Sports da Madeira. Camacho was regional Masters champion in 2025 and is currently second in that competition in 2026.