Rally pilots do the warm up leg racing of the Foz do Douro

Starting at 3.30 pm today, rally drivers will race the outlined circuit to “warm-up” the engines. The race is organised by the Automóvel Clube de Portugal and it will be the fourth stage to score to the WRC- World Rally Championship, to be held between 20 and 23 May, as previously planned for 2020, before it was halted by the pandemic. The event will be televised by RTP and streamed to over 160 countries.

The outlined rally circuit is more compact, just a little over one kilometre between departure and arrival, located at the Avenue Dom Carlos I, next to the Ourigo beach area. Each competitor will complete three laps of the circuit, which comprise spinning tops, one jump and two chicanes, in a total of 3, 3 timed kilometres.

The assembly of the event’s infrastructure is ongoing and on 18 may drivers test the Super Special Porto Leg, at the Avenida de Dom Carlos I and in the enveloping area. This warm-up race, today, is done with normal cars at a controlled speed and still without the usual apparatus that such racing offers. Still, all the traffic that connects to that area, namely the surroundings of the Forte de S. João Batista will be halted. There will be signposting advising recommended routes for circulation matters, between the Atlantic shore (beaches in Foz) and the waterfront of Cantareira.

Access to residents, loading and unloading is guaranteed at all times, as well as access by emergency vehicles. Also, access to the beaches of Carneiro, Ourigo and Ingleses is forbidden on the day the drivers will test the circuit, which is on 18 May, and also on the day of the race, on 22 May.

This event will not be open to fans, due to coronavirus concerns; nonetheless, aficionados will have the opportunity to watch a Super Special via RTP television transmission. This event scores for the ranking of the WRC programme and the fascinating leg of Porto is scheduled for 22nd May, this time with a Super Special stage at the Forte de São João Baptista, in Foz do Douro.

Porto City Hall provides a support line to clarify the population’s doubts, via the Linha Porto. 220 100 220, under the option 5. This line is operational on working days and on 22 May, between 9 am and 7 pm.

Moreover, there is a complement line, by the Municipal Police, via the phone number 939 012 402. This line is active from Monday to Friday, between 7.30 am and 8.30 pm, and on weekends between 9 am and 6 pm.

It should be highlighted that the last Rally de Portugal generated a direct turnover of 141. 2 million euros in the Northern and Centre economies of the country. International and national media coverage resulted in an indirect turnover of 67. 7 million euros.