João Rodrigues is setting out on what will be his debut at Rali da Madeira with the aim of “scoring points for the CPR. This is a new rally for me and, given our limited budget and lack of time, we won’t be able to test. I’m not thinking about winning, but rather about finishing close to the podium. As I love competing and if I feel comfortable, of course I might think about fighting for the top positions. I’m expecting a difficult rally, a bit of a challenge. I won’t be able to recce the stages as I’d like to, and we’re likely to face changes in road surface and weather conditions. I really hope the weather stays stable and that, despite a poor start to the season, we can build on our recent good results.”

João Rodrigues is 45 years old and made his rallying debut in 2005 in a Lancia Delta HF Turbo. Although he drove other cars in between, that was the car he drove until the end of 2007. In 2008, he drove a BMW 325 iX before taking a long break from his career. He made a full comeback in 2021 in a Peugeot 106 1.6, in which he retired on several occasions but also achieved some good results up until 2023. In 2024, he competed in two rallies with two different cars. Last season, he spent most of his time behind the wheel of a Renault Clio Rally5, in which he excelled in his class and won the Clio Trophy Portugal. This year, he is driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4 and leads the national two-wheel-drive championship.