The 2026 edition of Rali da Madeira will feature another important safety innovation. For the first time, speed reduction chicanes will be installed at the end of all Special Stages (PEC), a measure introduced this season by the Portuguese Federation of Automobile and Karting (FPAK).Although already foreseen in the national regulations, this will be the first time the measure is applied in a race of Ralis Coral da Madeira Championship. The chicanes will be placed approximately 100 metres before the STOP control, forcing competitors to significantly reduce their speed before stopping for the validation of their stage time.

According to the Clerk of the Course, Filipe Sousa, this change aims to increase safety in one of the busiest areas of each stage. "It's an area where control personnel, security personnel, journalists, and often competitors' families are concentrated. The installation of the chicane allows for a substantial reduction in vehicle speed before reaching the STOP point, creating better safety conditions for everyone working there." Each chicane will be approximately 20 meters long and will consist of three rows of tyres, distributed in a way that forces competitors to follow a true "S" curve, naturally reducing their speed before reaching the final control point.

The public should avoid standing near the chicanes.

The Organising Committee warns that, after a demanding special stage, vehicles may experience high temperatures in their braking systems or even suffer mechanical problems. In highly demanding special stages, such as the Serra de Água, brake discs frequently reach extremely high temperatures, potentially compromising the braking capacity of competitors. For this reason, the public should not stand near the chicanes, and should only watch the vehicles drive from locations clearly identified as safe, always respecting the instructions of the organisation and security forces.

The implementation of this measure represents another step in Rali da Madeira ongoing commitment to improving safety conditions for competitors, marshals, media and spectators. Because safety is everyone's responsibility, the organisation reinforces the main message of the event: be close to the excitement, but always far from danger.