Driving skills prevail over navigation at the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal
Route designed to test the technical abilities of the drivers
Everything is nearly ready for the drivers and machines of the World Rally-Raid Championship to tackle the demanding tracks prepared by the team from the Automóvel Club de Portugal for the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. Over the course of six days, competitors will cover a total distance of around 2,200 kilometres, with more than half of those kilometres run against the clock.
The spotlight switches on as early as Tuesday, March 17, for the motorcycle competitors. They will be the first to get into action with the prologue held near Grândola, which will effectively determine the starting order for the first stage. The following day, Wednesday, the entire caravan enters competition. The ACP has designed a stage starting and finishing in the Alentejo town. Later that same day, after the first special stage, SS2 will take place. This sector, approximately three kilometres long and located very close to the bivouac, will offer an excellent opportunity for spectators to watch the competitors in action. It will also be broadcast live on television.
On Thursday, March 19, the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal caravan leaves Grândola and heads into Spain, more precisely to Badajoz. Competitors will cover almost 400 kilometres on this day. While the terrain in Portugal is predominantly sandy, the second half of the selective sector, already in Spain, will take teams through mountainous tracks before finishing in a flatter area dominated by agricultural land.
The third stage of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal takes place entirely on Spanish soil. More than 300 kilometres against the clock await competitors on a route that is generally fast and run on good surfaces, although several sections can become quite slippery.
When the rally returns to Portugal the following day, competitors will face the longest stage of this year’s edition. It totals almost 650 kilometres, of which 315 kilometres count towards the classification. The demanding nature of the terrain will be a constant feature, although the opening part of the stage will be slower than the latter sections.
Finally, when the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal bivouac settles near the Estádio do Algarve, teams will compete in more mountainous terrain. It is in the Serra do Caldeirão that the ACP has designed the penultimate challenge for the competitors. These roughly 100 kilometres represent one of the final opportunities to make a difference in the overall standings.
The competition will conclude with a short but spectacular special stage, which will also be broadcast live on television. Once the competitive route has been completed, the podium ceremony will take place at the Vilamoura Marina.
“In the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, driving skills tend to be more decisive than navigation expertise. To make the difference on the stages, competitors need to push closer to the limit, which ultimately increases the spectacle. For this edition, the aim was to design a route consistent with what teams experienced in the first two years. This time, however, we had to make some adjustments very close to the start of the event due to the storms that hit Portugal in February. Even so, we are confident that we have prepared a demanding, challenging and well-balanced route, much like in previous editions. We hope that the competitors enjoy the experience and deliver a great show for the many spectators who will gather along the selective sectors to cheer on the stars of world rally-raid,” said race director Orlando Romana.
Source: ACP Motorsport
Photo: ImagensDesportivas.pt / Rally-Raid Network
