"Cidade do Funchal" is the name adopted as of 2024 for the traditional and popular Avenida do Mar Super Special Stage—an event that brings great excitement and energy to the city centre, which has hosted this competition organised by Club Sports da Madeira since 1959. It is a stage designed for showmanship, featuring roundabouts, 90-degree turns, and several chicanes to reduce the competitors' speed. Access: All of downtown Funchal.

The distribution of materials to Rali da Madeira competitors is underway from today. Organised by Club Sports da Madeira, the event takes to the road next Thursday, 30th July. Competitors or their representatives are collecting from the event's operational headquarters — located in 2026 at Funchal Harbour Gare Maritima — the numerous stickers to be applied to the vehicles, as well as the identification plates and badges to be used by drivers, co-drivers and their remaining team members.

Kris Meeke returns to Rali da Madeira, once again behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, and is "very happy to come back to the island, not just because of the rally, but everything that surrounds it – the natural beauty, the hospitality, and the weather. We are back with the same car and I make no secret of my ambition to win Rali da Madeira. I tried really hard last year, but we suffered a puncture. This year, we don’t have to worry about any championship standings, but it remains a massive challenge. It’s a huge rally, highly technical, specific, and unique, but we all know how difficult it is to beat those who live on the island and know the roads. That said, Diego Ruiloba won it over the last two years. I will do my absolute best, even though there are a few roads this year that I don’t know. I’m excited for the challenge." Born in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, the 47-year-old British driver made his rally debut in 2000 in a Peugeot 106 GTi. Mentored by Colin McRae, he raced S1600 machinery in the JWRC between 2003 and 2006. He returned to the international spotlight in 2009 with Peugeot, driving the 207 S2000 to the IRC title. Between 2015 and 2019, he competed in the WRC representing Citroën and Toyota, securing 4 World Rally Championship victories. He was crowned national champion in 2024 with a Hyundai i20N Rally2, a championship in which he finished as vice-champion last year, already driving a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

The countdown to the 2026 Rali da Madeira has taken centre stage in Funchal with the display of an iconic racing car at Plaza Madeira. On display is a 1978 Porsche 911 SC, fitted with a 3,000 cm³ engine – a true motorsport classic that arrived in Madeira from Italy and boasts a rich history in rallying. The car is already well known to the people of Madeira, having taken part in various events, specifically in editions of the Madeira Legend Rally, where it won the admiration of fans of the sport. The car belongs to Paulo Domingos, a driver who this year will take on the important role of driving Car 0 in the Rali da Madeira, at the wheel of a Porsche. The exhibition of this car is the result of a partnership between Club Sports da Madeira and Plaza Madeira, a collaboration that has grown stronger over recent years and which brings Rali da Madeira closer to the local population and the many visitors who pass through the shopping centre every day. The organisers invite all motorsport enthusiasts to visit Plaza Madeira and see this Porsche 911 SC up close – a car that represents an important part of rallying history and serves as an excellent ‘taster’ for the 67th edition of Rali da Madeira, which gets underway next week.

Rúben Rodrigues returns to Rali da Madeira in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 and aims to “build on what we’ve been doing in the national championship and secure maximum points. It’s a tough event, one I’m still not entirely familiar with, but I hope to achieve a good result. Madeira is always tricky, with very technical and demanding special stages, but we hope to be more competitive than in 2025. We were in Calheta and it was an excellent test; the changes were positive and we’ve taken a step forward. I want to honour the sponsors who have helped us with this very complicated project to put together.” The Auto Açoreana driver is 41 years old and made his rallying debut in 2009 at the wheel of a Citroën Saxo Cup. He has built his entire driving career from the ground up, and in 2018 and 2019 he was crowned Azorean two-wheel-drive champion at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 R2 and a Peugeot 208 Rally4. In 2021, he switched to a Citroën C3 Rally2, securing his first victory and also his first overall regional title. He would go on to become champion again in 2023 and 2024 with two versions of the Škoda Fabia, the Rally2 Evo and the RS Rally2. In 2025, he ‘moved’ to the national championship and demonstrated on several occasions the speed he had already shown in the neighbouring archipelago. This year he is driving the same car and, with a string of good results, is the leader of the CPR.

Kris Meeke will sport the number 1 on his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 at the 67th edition of Rali da Madeira, which takes place on the road in a week’s time. The British driver tops the list of 86 entrants revealed this afternoon by Club Sports da Madeira, the club responsible for organising the event since its first edition in 1959. The list made public today features not only a large number but also an excellent line-up of drivers and cars, which will undoubtedly make this latest edition a success, as has been the case for decades both nationally and internationally. The list released today includes 25 teams with RC2 (Rally2 or R5) cars, 5 with RGT cars and a further 22 in Rally4, which, under normal conditions, will allow the many spectators to watch for around an hour as teams compete in the best cars currently available at international competitive level. Rali da Madeira will feature international stars as well as drivers competing for the top positions in the national and regional championships, and also those from other competitions in whose calendar the event is included. As well as Meeke, the line-up for the event will include Giandomenico Basso, a four-time winner of the race, and Diego Ruiloba, the driver who has won the last two editions of the race organised by Filipe Sousa. Alongside them, names such as Armindo Araújo, Miguel Nunes, Rúben Rodrigues, Pedro Almeida, José Pedro Fontes, Alexandre Camacho, the rally’s all-time wins’ record holder João Silva, Gonçalo Henriques, Miguel Caires, Ricardo Teodósio and Hugo Lopes promise fierce competition for a coveted place in the top ten. These and other competitors will be behind the wheel of almost every make represented in the RC2 group: Škoda, with various versions of the Fabia Rally2 and R5; the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2; the Citroën C3 Rally2; the Hyundai i20N Rally2; and the latest Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. Filipe Freitas, Gil Freitas and Paulo Mendes are leading figures in the sleek, noisy and highly efficient RGTs built by Porsche and Alpine. The battle for supremacy amongst front-wheel-drive drivers will also be thrilling. With the drivers who set the pace in this category at both national and regional levels, Rali da Madeira will feature a balance between the RC4 cars and the speed of drivers such as João Rodrigues, Hélder Miranda, Pedro Silva, Sandro Teixeira, Emanuel Martins, Nuno Ferreira, Carlos Ferreira, Tiago Nunes, Pedro Câmara and Martim Nunes to keep the excitement going throughout the long convoy. The event, organised by Club Sports da Madeira, will also feature many other drivers in older cars or stars of the show such as Cláudio Nóbrega in a Datsun 1200, Miguel Gouveia in a BMW E36, José Jarimba in a Toyota Starlet and Mário Oliveira in a Ford Escort RS Mk II, ensuring the atmosphere is electric on each run through the 15 special stages on the programme. There are plenty of reasons why a community passionate about rallying – and the many visitors who make a point of attending – are counting down the hours until the start of the next Rali da Madeira. The entry list is available here.

The 67th edition of Rali da Madeira was unveiled today at the Funchal Harbour Maritime Terminal. José Paulo Fontes, president of the organising club, Club Sports da Madeira, and of the event’s organising committee, highlighted “the pleasure of welcoming you to what is the new operational centre for a rally whose organisation involves more than 1,400 people. This solution frees up the city centre for its users. Another change is that the grandstand at the Sá Carneiro Roundabout on the Super-Special Stage will be allocated to the general public, with invited guests directed to other grandstands. The organisers have decided to accept all entries up to the limit set out in the regulations. This will lead to increased safety challenges, with competitors taking longer to pass through each Special Stage, as we will have at least an hour and a half of team action. The route for this year’s event has been well planned; we will pass through the Funchal Ecological Park four times, with plenty of areas where spectators can position themselves in advance to watch. The rally has been organised so that people can move around and watch safely, as the roads are not expected to be opened to traffic between passes. We’ll have lots of top drivers – all those competing in the national and Madeira championships – as well as three foreign drivers, two of whom have already won here – Diego Ruiloba and Giandomenico Basso – and another who is very keen to win, Kris Meeke. This was a commitment to quality and competitiveness. Beyond the podium, there will be plenty of competition spread throughout the field. The rally will also feature many promising young talents from the national motorsport scene. Despite the increased costs, all the drivers want to be here in Madeira.” Jorge Carvalho, Mayor of Funchal, highlighted “the financial support provided, but also the use of the local authority’s resources, whether physical or human, and here I must acknowledge the commitment and willingness of the staff. In addition to the opening of the Funchal Ecological Park, our environmental awareness team will also be on hand to encourage the public to behave responsibly when it comes to protecting the environment.” We would like to highlight the organisation’s sensitivity in ensuring that the lower town and city centre were kept clear by relocating the operations centre to the Harbour of Funchal, as well as the fact that Praça do Município has been ‘freed’ from the closed car park and is now available to the many visitors seeking this prime, highly visible spot in the municipality. The conditions are in place for the great celebration that is the Rally. The municipality is fully committed to creating the conditions for an event of international standing. The city is behind the Rally.” José Manuel Rodrigues, Regional Secretary for the Economy, pointed out that “this is a rally that needs no introduction. Over the decades, it has established itself as one of the leading events in motor sport in the region and has secured a prominent place on the national and international calendars for this sport. This is down to the quality of the organisation, the unique characteristics that Madeira offers for an event of this nature, the public turnout and the calibre of the drivers competing in it. The media coverage of the event brings Madeira to the attention of audiences who would otherwise have no contact with this destination, and showcases a region capable of hosting large-scale events such as this rally, which has a distinct identity of its own. The event has a direct impact on the regional economy and benefits many municipalities across the region.” “It is our entire island and its images that are seen throughout the country and abroad. All the conditions are in place for the rally to be a success – and I am certain it will be.” Zeca, the event’s mascot, was also introduced on that occasion.