Bernardo Sousa is back to Madeira in a competing car. The driver from Madeira is going to race the competition organized by Club Sports da Madeira “to fight for the podium in the National Championship. many opponents have cars more recent than ours, under such circumstances, there is nothing left to do than to adjust our goals. It will be very difficult to compete with Alexandre Camacho, Miguel Nunes and Pedro Paixão, even because our vehicle should be about 0,5 seconds slower per kilometre. We can’t test the car but we hope, within the limitations, to be able to make a few adjustments before the competition is on the roads. I haven’t been competing in this rally since 2014, precisely because knowledge is very important to the achievement of a good outcome. Without an important change in our budget, this shall be my last competition in 2021.” Sousa is 34 years old and had his debut in the rallies in 2005 with a Ford Escort RS. In the following year, he drove a Peugeot 206 S1600 in the Island’s championship and a Skoda Fabia TDI in the national competition.  In 2007, he drove a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and got his first absolute standing in Porto Santo. After that, he has been driving several vehicles in different secondary levels of WRC. In 2010, was a national champion standing with a Ford Fiesta S2000. In 2018 and 2019 he raced in the championship from Azores. In 2021 he got back to the sports with a Skoda Fabia R5 and is the fifth in a national championship that shone in Vodafone Rally de Portugal.

Cancelled in last year’s program, in 2020, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Shakedown is back, in 2021, in Rali Vinho da Madeira. Shakedown is used by the competitors to check the setup of their vehicles as well as to conclude the few last minute adjustments and improvements to the performance of the racing cars. This year is back to Estrada dos Cardais and ER 224 on Thursday, 5th August, between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Before that, however, the Qualifying will take place, on the same roads, between 8:15 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. Qualifying is strictly for the drivers with priority and, after a few passages of reconnaissance, it will have a timed stage. To the fastest rivers and according to the best brands order established for such passages, drivers will be allowed to choose the start order for the first stage. The start sequence in championships such as the Rali Vinho da Madeira can be crucial to get the best timing in the stages, as it may reflect on a road with more gravel or changing weather conditions.  

Tomorrow, at 6 p.m., the Rali Vinho Madeira Organizing Committee will have a training for the doctors and nurses who will back up this year’s RVM edition. In the training, held by the skilled firefighters will revise the established procedures for the victims’ assistance in case of an emergency, considering the specific aspects of the rally cars. The training will take place at Dr. Horácio Bento de Gouveia School, where the Rally Secretariat is.

The national flag has been the one that more often was hoisted in the highest pole of the Rali Vinho da Madeira podium. The Portuguese drivers won the competition organized, since 1959, by the Club Sports da Madeira no less than in 30 occasions. This is a reflection not only of the fact that, in the first editions, the event was not yet international, but also the rising of the Portuguese competitors in the last years. On the other hand, Inno di Mameli, symbol of the unified Italy, have been heard no less than 20 times. The Italian drivers are the only who tried to compete with the national colours in victory numbers, as the country next to these two countries is Belgium, nation of origin for four champions. In the list of countries whose drivers were the best in the Island are France, with three victories, Finland, with two winners and Spain and Luxembourg with a trophy each.    

The cooperation protocol between the City Hall of Funchal and Club Sports da Madeira, organizing entity of Rali Vinho da Madeira was signed today. The partnership is based on a financial and logistic support for the accomplishment of the completion. At that time, Miguel Gouveia, the Mayor of the City, underlined the contribution of RVM for the promotion of the city and cast a challenge to include once more, in the competition, the Super special stage of Avenida do Mar and the stage in Chão da Lagoa.  The president suggested a name change for these two special stages, becoming Super Special city of Funchal stage and Ecological Park Special Stage, as a way to promote the city and its natural heritage.     

Rui Jorge Fernandes will be in the next Rali Vinho da Madeira with the ambition to “win the RC3 group and be the best amongst the two drive wheels. We would also like to be ahead as much as possible even if that means to meddle among some drivers with R5 vehicles. In this competition, there will be more rivalry and we will be watching closely João Silva, whose car is supposed to be from an inferior group, despite the fact that it’s a more recent car, having a similar potential of our Renault Clio R3T.  We did not make any changes in our vehicle but we had been very careful with our physical preparation, as this is a very demanding rally.” The 31 years old driver, Fernandes started this sports in 2008 with a Skoda Fabia TDi. He has been behind the wheel of different vehicles, namely Citroën Saxo, Citroën C2 R2, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI. In 2019, he got his current vehicle, a Renault Clio R3T and last year became the Regional Champion of his level. In 2021, he stands out in the grouping of the Rally Championship Coral da Madeira.  

For many years, the machines that win the Rali Vinho da Madeira are part of many young and older fans’ fiction, who locally follow the whole sport and the special stage show of motorsport in particular. A reason to chat and argue, the preference for a certain manufacturer ended up, for many times, being an influence for the purchase of a vehicle to be used in a daily basis. In Rali Vinho da Madeira, the most successful brand is Peugeot, with 10 victories, closely followed by Lancia, with 9. In the lowest place of the podium are the two manufacturers with 6 victories each, a Ford and a Porsche. Right behind is Fiat with 5 victories and Subaru, the best in 4 occasions. 4 manufacturers won twice: Ferrari, Opel, Toyota and Renault, as MG, Mercedes, Alfa Romeo, Triumph, NSU, BMW and Citroën only achieved the highest place at the podium once.