Diego Ruiloba returns to Rali da Madeira and his goal is "to win the event. The rally went well for us in 2024, and we won. This year, our responsibility is greater, because anything less than victory will only worsen our result. We must try our best, because we don't want to drop or worsen. We have the advantage of knowing the route better, but on the other hand, there is a lot of competition from local drivers, who know the event perfectly, and others like Campedelli, who are very strong. This is a beautiful rally, on a spectacular island, and we can only be grateful for the opportunity they gave us to be here." The Spaniard is 24 years old and made his debut in 2019 with a Peugeot 208 1.2. In 2021, he switched to the wheel of a Suzuki Swift and won the Spanish trophy for that model. The following year, driving a Peugeot 208 Rally4, he won the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica. Since then, he has represented Citroën in a C3 Rally2. In 2024, he achieved his first overall victories, notably at Rali da Madeira. This season, he has competed in several WRC events in the WRC2 Challenger.

This evening, starting at 9:30 pm, the autograph session for the 66th edition of Rali da Madeira will take place in the gardens of the Madeira Casino. Open to the public, this session offers the opportunity for a passionate community and a legion of fans to mingle with the participants in the true celebration that is the event, which hits the road starting Thursday, July 31st. Many of the vehicles that will delight the many spectators throughout the weekend will be on display.

The start of Rali da Madeira 2025 brings with it several traffic restrictions in the city of Funchal, especially due to the 1st Special Qualifying Stage (PEC) – Funchal City, scheduled for July 31st. On this first day of the event, traffic will be completely interrupted between 2:00 PM and 9:30 PM on the section between the Harvey Foster Roundabout and the Cable Car Station, on Avenida do Mar and the Madeirenses Communities. The pedestrian crossing from north to south of Avenida do Mar and the Madeirenses Communities will close at 6:45 PM. The organisers urge the public who intend to attend the event to travel to their desired locations in advance and be there by 6:30 PM to avoid last-minute delays and ensure everyone's safety. From July 30th, at 9:30 pm, until August 2nd, at 8:00 pm, traffic will be interrupted on Avenida Dr. Sá Carneiro, where the event's Service Park will be installed. Access to the area will be restricted during this period, and we ask for drivers' understanding. The 2025 Rali da Madeira's Parc Fermé will be located in the Savoy Palace Hotel parking lot, which will result in temporary traffic interruptions on Rua Imperatriz D. Amélia, as well as restrictions on Beco Imperatriz D. Amélia. For more detailed information, please consult the Road Closure document published on the event's official website https://ralidamadeira.com/2025/pt/event/encerramento and on the Funchal City Council website.

Rali da Madeira championship saw its number of events increase from seven to eight this year, and promised greater excitement with the arrival of more competitors with Rally2 and Rally4 vehicles. The expectations of the sport's many fans in the archipelago were not disappointed, as competitiveness has driven the five events already held. The season opened in March in Machico, and João Silva prevailed there, driving a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo, followed by Miguel Nunes, adapting to his new car, and Miguel Caires. The championship moved to Santana in April. João Silva started in front but eventually retired after a crash. Miguel Nunes and the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 survived the deluge that hit the island's north coast better and won, followed by Miguel Caires and José Camacho in the less modern Skoda Fabia R5. The season continued on the north coast, and in May the caravan headed to São Vicente. João Silva was the initial leader but could barely resist the stronger momentum of Miguel Nunes, who won again, sharing the podium with João Silva and Rui Jorge Fernandes. June brought the Regional "circus" to Ribeira Brava. Silva once again took the lead and won the most special stages, but victory once again went to Nunes, with Silva and Caires close behind. About three weeks ago, the Calheta Rally took place. In the southwest, Miguel Caires held the lead the longest. Miguel Nunes fought back, and they started the final stage tied. The reigning champion's experience was decisive, and he achieved his fourth consecutive victory of the year. João Silva finished on the podium in his debut with the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Rali da Madeira will be the sixth round of the season, with the remaining rallies to be contested: Câmara de Lobos and Funchal in September, and Porto Santo in November. Current standings: 1st: Miguel Nunes, 130; 2nd: João Silva, 93; 3rd: Miguel Caires, 92; 4th: Artur Quintal, 62; 5th: Rui Jorge Fernandes, 59; 6th José Camacho, 47; 7th Vasco D. Silva, 24; 8th Rui Pinto, 21; 9th Paulo Mendes, 20; 10th Sandro Teixeira, 16. 60 pilots are classified.

Dani Sordo is making his Rali da Madeira debut and "I'm very excited to compete for the first time, which will be an exciting challenge given everything I'll discover throughout the event. I'll certainly be at a disadvantage compared to my opponents, but it will certainly be extra motivation to give my all and put the Hyundai i20 N Rally2 at the top of the standings. The victory in Castelo Branco gives us enormous encouragement and is the result of the work we've been doing." The 42-year-old Spaniard made his rally debut in 2001 with a Mitsubishi Carisma GT VI. In 2004, he moved to the wheel of a Citroën C2 S1600, and the following year, he won the Junior World Championship and the Spanish Asphalt Championship with that model. In 2006, he became an official WRC driver, representing Citroën and Mini, and has been driving for Hyundai since 2014. He has reached the podium several times in the main championship but has only won once, in Germany in 2013 with a Citroën DS3 WRC. In 2025, he will compete in the Portuguese Rally Championship, where he is third.

Simone Campedelli returns to Rali da Madeira in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 from The Racing Factory. The Italian said, "First of all, we're very happy that they wanted us back because this is one of our favourite events of the entire year. The goal is, above all, to have fun, and, of course, we want to try to get a good result. It will never be easy because there are many drivers who are very fast, very strong, or who know the rally very well, like Dani Sordo, Alexandre Camacho, and many others. But we'll do everything in our power and try to achieve a result that has eluded us." Campedelli turned 39 just two days ago and made his rally debut in 2004 with a Citroën C2. Until 2009, despite sporadic use of much more competitive cars, he mostly drove various versions of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. During that period, in 2007, he won the Italian gravel rally trophy. In 2022, he was the Italian junior champion with a Citroën DS3 R3T and the same vehicle, and the following year he was the Italian two-wheel drive champion. In 2017, he won the Promotion with a Ford Fiesta R5, and in 2022 and 2023, he was the Italian asphalt champion using a Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo.

Due to congestion at the Port of Leixões, the departure of the vessel "Funchalense 5" was delayed. It was only this morning that it was possible to load the vehicles that were at the Port of Lisbon. The ship will only arrive at the Port of Caniçal on Tuesday, July 29th, at 8:00 a.m. The organization informs the competing teams that were waiting to unload their vehicles of these constraints and apologizes for the impact that the delay in collecting the vehicles will have on the preparation and testing of the teams and competitors.