MEDIA INFORMATION
For immediate release
Thursday, May 20th, 2021
OGIER LEADS RIVALS INTO EIGHT STAGES ON FRIDAY
MATOSINHOS (PORTUGAL): Sébastien Ogier, the current FIA World Rally Championship leader, will lead his rivals into eight special stages on the opening leg of the 54th Vodafone Rally of Portugal on Friday.
Defending an eight-point advantage over Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville in the Drivers’ Championship, the Toyota Yaris driver knows that opening the road and sweeping the stage surfaces of loose gravel, sand and stray rocks puts him at a distinct disadvantage to his rivals further down the running order. The Frenchman is hoping for damp conditions, cloud cover and rain to boost his chances.
Friday’s timetable consists of two loops of three gravel special stages, a run through a new test at Mortágua and an evening visit to the Lousada rallycross circuit.
Action gets underway from 08.08hrs with passes through the Lousã (12.35km), Góis (19.51km) and Arganil (18.82km) stages before cars enter a regroup and a tyre-fitting zone. The first special is identical to that last used in 2019, but there are minor extensions to stages two and three.
The trio are repeated in the early afternoon before crews head to the new special at Mortágua (18.16km), starting at 16.05hrs.
The 3.36km sprint around the Lousada rallycross circuit will be broadcast live on television and fires into life at 19.03hrs.
Ends
For further media information:
Miguel Fonseca, National Rally Press Officer, email: press.motorsport@acp.pt and Lluisa Torras, International Media Relations, email: lluisa.torras@acp.pt, Mobile: +34 629 924073.
www.wrc.com
www.rallydeportugal.pt