The 2024 WRC season is as open because it comes with 4 completely different winners in as many rounds to start the marketing campaign.
Championship chief Thierry Neuville kicked issues off with victory within the season-opening Monte Carlo Rally, earlier than Esapekka Lappi gained in Sweden, Kalle Rovanpera in Kenya and at last Sebastien Ogier in Croatia.
However Rovanpera and Ogier are solely contesting a part-time marketing campaign in 2024, which leaves Neuville and Elfyn Evans on the high of the championship.
Though he’s but to win, Evans has up to now been rewarded for his consistency as he’s had a top-four end in every rally, together with three podiums.
However Evans left the final spherical in Croatia extraordinarily pissed off, because the factors construction that’s new for 2024 meant he scored as many factors for ending second as Neuville did in third.
Beneath the present construction, championship factors are awarded on the finish of each Saturday and Sunday. A sliding scale of 18-15-13-10-8-6-4-3-2-1 is given on Saturday, with 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 then awarded on Sunday whereas the Energy Stage stays 5-4-3-2-1.
In Croatia, Neuville topped the Saturday standings however completed seventh on Sunday with no factors within the Energy Stage. Evans was second on the primary day earlier than scoring 4 factors on Sunday.
Photograph by: Toyota Racing
It meant Evans was unable to chop his six-point championship deficit to Neuville regardless of the Toyota driver ending forward of his Hyundai rival general.
Though Adrien Fourmaux completed seventeenth general, he left Croatia with 13 factors for ending fifth on Saturday and profitable the Energy Stage, that means the M-Sport driver stays third within the championship however 27 factors behind Neuville.
So, the early indicators present that will probably be a straight-up combat between Neuville and Evans for WRC glory in 2024.
WRC2 also needs to excite followers in Portugal with the return of five-time rally winner Kris Meeke, who final contested the class at this occasion in 2023.
The WRC2 championship image can also be extensive open as Yohan Rossel and Oliver Solberg are tied on the high with Nikolay Gryazin simply three factors behind and all title contenders will probably be current in Portugal.
When is Rally Portugal?
Date: 9-12 Might
Begin time: 5pm on Thursday 9 Might 2024
The 2024 Rally Portugal begins on Thursday 9 Might at 5pm in the UK and native time. That’s for the ceremonial begin although, so the primary official stage doesn’t start till 7:05pm that night time.
Earlier than stage one, there may be additionally shakedown at 8am on Thursday, which provides drivers the possibility to check varied automotive set-ups forward of the weekend.
How can I watch the WRC?
TNT Sports activities has held the WRC broadcasting rights since 2014, so it would dwell televise each spherical of the 2024 season.
This implies UK residents should maintain a subscription to observe WRC and TNT is out there at £20 per 30 days for a deal that features all 4 sport channels, Eurosport 1 and a pair of and Discovery+. Discovery+ is TNT’s dwell streaming platform that means the WRC might be watched by way of a cellular or pill gadget, in addition to a console.
The WRC can also be obtainable by way of Rally.television, which broadcasts the European Rally Championship and World Rallycross Championship as effectively. Rally.television has two offers for brand new clients: an annual go for £119.99 or a month-to-month go for £12.99.
How can I watch Rally Portugal?
Protection for Rally Portugal will start this Thursday at 8am with TNT Sports activities Additional 1 broadcasting shakedown, earlier than the ceremonial begin and opening stage that night.
TNT Sports activities’ Friday protection will start at 7:45am with early begins on Saturday and Sunday as effectively. Nonetheless, as a result of rally’s schedule, TNT Sports activities will probably be on and off with its protection relying on the beginning time for every stage. For instance, one programme will broadcast levels two to 5 within the morning with the subsequent doing six to eight after lunch.
The identical format will probably be adopted by Rally.television, which may even dwell broadcast each stage plus the shakedown and ceremonial begin.
When can I watch Rally Portugal highlights?
Pink Bull TV will run a one-hour programme at 10pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday night time broadcasting highlights of every day at Rally Portugal. TNT Sports activities will do one thing comparable, however as an alternative run a 30-minute spotlight bundle at varied occasions: 11pm on Friday, 5:30am on Sunday and 12am on Monday.
ITV4 can also be broadcasting a one-hour highlights programme and it’ll air on Tuesday 14 Might at 8pm.
Autosport additionally reveals each day highlights, whereas the official WRC platforms will add a brief bundle quickly after the operating for every day has completed.
What’s the route for Rally Portugal?
Rally Portugal consists of twenty-two particular levels – essentially the most on the calendar – protecting a complete aggressive distance of 209.43 miles on a gravel floor. An excellent particular stage kicks off proceedings on Thursday night, the place drivers will sort out simply 1.83 miles of Figueira da Foz which is a coastal metropolis in central Portugal.
An early begin commences the motion on Friday with drivers tackling 11.28 miles of Mortagua from 8:05am, earlier than heading south to Lousa for 7.63 miles of the city. The rally then heads east for 8.7 miles of Gois earlier than 11.63 miles of Arganil finishes the morning.
These levels are run once more on Friday afternoon, but it surely as an alternative begins with Lousa earlier than going to Gois, Arganil and at last Mortagua. There’s one other early begin on Saturday, which options two equivalent loops of eight levels starting at 8:05am.
It begins with 5.74 miles of Felgueiras – 107.44 miles north of Mortagua – earlier than heading east for five.4 miles of Montim. Two large levels then end the morning with 23.14 miles of Amarante and 10 miles of Pardes earlier than that route is repeated on Saturday afternoon.
Sunday begins at 7:05am with 12.37 miles of Cabeceiras de Basto earlier than 6.95 miles of Fafe, whereas drivers then end the morning with one other run of Cabeceiras de Basto. Rally Portugal finishes with its Energy Stage, which is one other 6.95 miles run of Fafe on Sunday afternoon.
Rally1 entry listing for Rally Portugal