Rallye Açores

The Rallye Açores, known originally as the Volta à Ilha de São Miguel is an international rally racing event based on the Portuguese island of São Miguel Island in the Azores.

Rallye Azores
56th Rallye logo
StatusActive
GenreMotor Sport event
Date(s)Spring
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Azores
CountryPortugal
Inaugurated1965
Websitehttps://www.azoresrallye.com/
Start podium in Ponta Delgada at the 2017 event

The rally was first run in 1965 as locals gathered for a race called Volta à Ilha de São Miguel, which translated means Round the Island of São Miguel. This was six years after the establishment of the Rali Vinho da Madeira on the Portuguese island of Madeira, much closer to Africa.

The event has been a long running round of the European Rally Championship and the Portuguese Rally Championship as well as spawning its own championship in the Azores. Unlike other international events held on Atlantic Ocean islands that it is frequently paired with, the Rali Vinho da Madeira and the Rally Islas Canarias it is a gravel event.

Despite its isolated location, over 1500 kilometres from the coast of Portugal (the Azores are actually closer to Canada), it has since the early 1970s been a part of Portugal's national championship. It became an international event since 1992 when it was first included in the European Rally Championship. The rally was demoted to the European Rally Cup West in 2004 and dropped entirely in 2006. In 2008 the rally regained international standing with the European Rally Cup South series and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge the following year. After the death of the IRC in 2012 the European Championship returned in 2013.

Portuguese drivers have dominated the event. A non-Portuguese driver did not win the event until the first international event in 1992 was won by Yves Loubert. Portuguese drivers would continue to dominate, though, with Fernando Peres winning the rally seven times in the international era. Carlos Bica has won the event four times.

List of winners

Sourced in part from:[1][2]

SeasonWinnerCarReport
1965 Portugal Luís Toste Fiat 1500
1966 Portugal Luís Cordeiro Ford Cortina GT
1967 Portugal Luís Cordeiro Ford Cortina GT
1968 Portugal José Lampreia Renault 8 Gordini
1969 Portugal Américo Nunes Porsche 911 S
1970 Portugal Jorge Nascimento BMW 2002
1971 Portugal Raúl Mendonça BMW 2002
1972 Portugal António Borges Porsche 911 S
1973 Portugal Giovanni Salvi Porsche 911 S
1974 not held
1975 Portugal Manuel Inácio Opel 1904 SR
1976 Portugal Giovanni Salvi Ford Escort RS2000
1977 Portugal "Larama" Ford Escort RS1600
1978 Portugal "Larama" Ford Escort RS1600
1979 Portugal José Pedro Borges Opel Kadett GT/E
1980 Portugal Mário Silva Ford Escort RS
1981 Portugal António Santinho Mendes Datsun Violet 160J
1982 Portugal Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1983 Portugal Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1984 Portugal Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1985 Portugal Joaquim Moutinho Renault 5 Turbo
1986 Portugal Jorge Ortigão Toyota Corolla GT
1987 Portugal Inverno Amaral Renault 11 Turbo
1988 Portugal Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1989 Portugal Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1990 Portugal Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1991 Portugal Carlos Bica Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
1992 France Yves Loubet Toyota Celica GT-Four
1993 Portugal José Miguel Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1994 Portugal Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1995 Portugal José Miguel Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1996 Portugal Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1997 Belgium Bruno Thiry Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1998 Portugal Fernando Peres Ford Escort WRC
1999 Belgium Grégoire De Mévius Subaru Impreza 555
2000 Estonia Markko Märtin Subaru Impreza WRC
2001 Finland Juha Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC
2002 Portugal Rui Madeira Ford Focus WRC
2003 Portugal Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
2004 Portugal Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2005 Portugal Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
2006 Portugal Armindo Araújo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
2007 Portugal Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2008 Portugal Bruno Magalhães Peugeot 207 S2000
2009 United Kingdom Kris Meeke Peugeot 207 S2000 Report
2010 Portugal Bruno Magalhães Peugeot 207 S2000 Report
2011 Finland Juho Hänninen Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2012 Norway Andreas Mikkelsen Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2013 Czech Republic Jan Kopecký Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2014 Portugal Bernardo Sousa Ford Fiesta RRC Report
2015 Republic of Ireland Craig Breen Peugeot 208 T16 R5 Report
2016 Portugal Ricardo Moura Ford Fiesta R5 Report
2017 Portugal Bruno Magalhães Škoda Fabia R5 Report
2018 Russia Alexey Lukyanuk Ford Fiesta R5 Report
2019 Poland Łukasz Habaj Škoda Fabia R5 Report
2020 Rally cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 Norway Andreas Mikkelsen Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Report
2022 Spain Efrén Llarena Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Report
2023 France Sébastien Loeb[3] Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 Report

References

  1. "Sata Rallye Açores » Previous Winners". Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  2. "Rallye Açores Hall of fame". ewrc-results.com. 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  3. Howard, Tom (2023-04-02). "WRC legend Loeb victorious on rally return in Azores". motorsport.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
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