Rally de Portugal marks the third round of the FIA World Rally Championship and will once again be hosted in the Algarve Stadium, where Rally Headquarters and the service park are based. Although the popular stadium-based Super Special Stage will not be run this year, the rally will be returning to Lisbon for the first time in 37 years. Here, the crews will be faced with a spectacular 3.27 kilometre street stage in the historic capital city.
The FIA Production Car World Rally Championship also resumes in Portugal and all 18 registered entrants will be competing for honours. Portugal also marks the opening round of the newly-created FIA WRC Academy, the first step on the WRC ladder for young drivers. Currently, 20 crews have registered for the Academy and will compete in identically prepared Ford Fiesta R2s.
RALLY DE PORTUGAL – ROUTE GRAPHICS
RALLY DATA
Total distance: 1,363.55 km
Stage distance: 385.37 km
Number of stages: 17
RALLY DE PORTUGAL TIMETABLE AND MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES ORGANISED BY THE FIA
Wednesday 23 March
Shakedown – 14:30 – 18:30 hrs
Thursday 24 March
PWRC Season photo-shoot, Padrão dos Descobrimentos – 10:45 hrs
FIA WRC Academy launch, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon – 12:00 hrs
FIA WRC Season photo-shoot, Torre de Belém, Lisbon – 13:00 hrs
FIA press conference, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon – 13.30 hrs
Autograph signing session, Centro Cultural de Belém, Lisbon – 14:00-14:30 hrs
Drivers Parade, Praça do Império, Lisbon – 15:10-15:25 hrs
Rally start, Praça do Império, Lisbon – 15:35 hrs
SSS1, Lisbon – 15:40 hrs
Friday 25 March
First car arrives for mid-day service and Media Zone – 12:35 hrs
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone – 17:55 hrs
End of day press conference, Service Park, Algarve Stadium – During the 45’ service
Saturday 26 March
First car arrives for mid-day service and Media Zone – 13:15 hrs
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone – 18:00 hrs
End of day press conference, Service Park, Algarve Stadium – During the 45’ service
Sunday 27 March
First car arrives for mid-day service and Media Zone – 10:35 hrs
First car arrives for final service and Media Zone – 14:56 hrs
Prize-giving and podium ceremony, Algarve Stadium – 16:15 hrs
FIA press conference, Press Room, Algarve Stadium – 17:00 hrs
FIA PRESS CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE
Thursday 24 March
Michal Kosciuszko, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship
Hayden Paddon, FIA Production Car World Rally Championship
Miguel Baldoni, FIA WRC Academy
Brendon Reeves, FIA WRC Academy
Sébastien Ogier, Citroën Total World Rally Team
Mikko Hirvonen, Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team
Daniel Oliveira, Brazil World Rally Team
Henning Solberg, M-Sport Stobart Ford World Rally Team
Please note that the FIA Pre-Event Press Conference will be relayed live to the Press Room at the Algarve Stadium.
Sunday 27 March
Winning FIA Production Car World Rally Championship crew
Top three crews in the overall classification
Representative of the winning entrant
ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES
‘Meet the Crews’: On Friday and Saturday the top three drivers will attend a ‘Meet the Crews’ session for media and fans. This will take place in the service park on the ‘WRC Stage’ at the earliest opportunity during the end of day 45 minute service.
Autograph Signing Session: On Friday and Saturday selected crews will be available for a 15 minute autograph session. This will take place in the service park during the end of day 45 minute service at the teams’ service areas.
http://www.rallysportlive.com/2011/03/wrc-rally-de-portugal-2011-preview/