Emanuel Martins is lining up for Rali da Madeira with the aim of “focusing on the result for the regional championship. I’d like to be able to compete with the best national two-wheel-drive drivers, but given their experience, they’re likely to have a faster pace than us. As the race progresses, we’ll see if we can keep up with them. I must, however, focus on enjoying myself and on our regional goal. This year we’re well placed in the championship and have shown good pace, which I wasn’t expecting, as this was meant to be a year of adaptation so that, in the future, we can take things more seriously.”

Martins is 49 years old and made his rally debut in 2003 in a Toyota Starlet, a car he also drove in a few events the following year. He took a break until 2022, when he took part in a few sporadic events in a Citroën DS3 R1. In 2023, he made a full return to the rally circuit in a Citroën Saxo VTS, with which he was always in contention for victory in his class. In 2025, still driving the same car, he turned his attention to rallies and continued to impress with his performances in a less modern car. In 2026, he switched to a Renault Clio Rally4 and has dominated the category in recent months. He is currently second in the regional two-wheel-drive championship.