Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2021

35 www.rallydeportugal.pt 20-23 / 05 / 2021 35 F ierce competition is taking place at the WRC2 championship in 2021 with three winners in as many rallies held so far. Andreas Mikkelsen, who won in Monte Carlo, arrives in Portugal as the second division leader of the World Rally Championship with 68 points. The Skoda Fabia R5 Norwegian driver has been the most consistent since the start of the season and will certainly be one of the candidates for the victory at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal. The Toksport WRT has its two drivers in the top two places in the WRC2 standings. Marco Bulacia has not won yet, but his good results in Monte Carlo and Croatia leave him well placed to discuss the top places in the category in the Automóvel Club de Portugal’s event. Adding to the duo, there are several competitors with potential to win. One of them is Mads Østberg. After many years in the WRC class, he won the WRC2 in 2020 and is one of four drivers on the overall shortlist who has won the Rally de Portugal overall. At the wheel of a Citroën C3, Østberg won the Croatia Rally, the only event he has taken part in this year, and is one of the favourites to win the Vodafone Rally de Portugal amongst the WRC2 entry list. Also from northern Europe comes Esapekka Lappi. With a Volkswagen Polo R5. The Finn is also in the batch of potential winners,while his teammate Nikolay Gryazin is looking for greater consistency. In the only round of the year he has concluded, he closed in third and showed ability to also enter the fight for the podium in Portugal. M-Sport enters Teemu Suninen, Martin Prokop an Tom Kristensson hoping to achieve their first triumph in 2021. The same goes for Hyundai. Besides Ole Christian Veiby, the South Korean manufacturer enters Oliver Solberg, son of former rally world champion, Petter Solberg. The young Norwegian made his Arctic Rally debut with a WRC and finished seventh in the rally world elite. He now focuses attention with the participation at the wheel of an i20 R5. A final note to Eric Camilli. The Frenchman returns to Portugal at the wheel of a Citroën C3 R5 prepared by the Portuguese structure, Sports & You. VICTORY UP FOR GRABS IN THE SECOND LEAGUE