The Rally Vinho Madeira is part of the FIA Rally Trophy, integrated in the Iberian leg of the competition, the FIA Iberian Rally Trophy. This trophy started at the end of February with the Portuguese competition Serras de Fafe Rally. The Spaniard Dani Sordo brought to our country a Hyundai i20 R5 and gave no breaks to his competitors. Immediately after came the racers who were better positioned at the Portuguese motor-racing championship: Ricardo Teodósio, Miguel Barbosa, Ricardo Moura and José Pedro Fontes.

A month later, the Rallye Sierra Morena, centered at Córdoba, marked the first of this competition’s Spanish legs. “Pepe” Lopez won, just ahead of two Hyundai i20 R5 pilots, Ruben Ares and Surhayen Pernia. Roberto Blach, in a Citroën C3 R5, came fourth, ahead of the spectacular Daniel Bendomas, in his Peugeot 208 R2, and Emma Falcon, in another Citroën C3 R5. Around mid-May, Tenerife and the Villa de Adeje Rally, a new introduction to this year’s trophy, hosted the third of the six events that compose the calendar. In the Canary island that is closest to Madeira, the Hyundai i20 R5 dictated the rules with Ruben Ares triumphing ahead of José António Suarez and Surhayen Pernia and Francis Lopez. After the end of Rally Vinho Madeira there will be two races left to compete: the Princess of Asturias Rally, in September, and the Casinos do Algarve in November.

Current standings: 1.st Ruben Ares, 70; 2.nd “Pepe” Lopez, 38; 3.rd Daniel Sordo, 32; 4.th José António Suarez, 30; 5.th Alejandro Calderon e Surhayen Pernia, 25; 7.th Ricardo Teodósio, 24; 8.th Miguel Barbosa e Roberto Blach, 20; 10.th Francisco Lopez, 19; 11.th Ricardo Moura e Emma Falcon, 16; 13.th Domingo Guerra, 15; 14.th José Pedro Fontes, 13; 15.th Gustavo Espinel, 11; 16.th Bruno Magalhães, 10; 17.th Armindo Araújo, 6; 18.th Alberto Heller Ancarola, 5; 19.th José Macias, 4; 20.th Pedro Heller Ancarola, 2; 21.st Pedro Almeida, 1.