Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2021

39 www.rallydeportugal.pt 20-23 / 05 / 2021 39 W RC3, the world rally championship for private drivers who compete with R5-class cars, is being dominated by drivers from France. Yohan Rossel and Nicolas Ciamin, both in Citroën C3 R5, are first and second, respectively, in the standings after the first rallies of the year. Rossel has already won in Monte-Carlo and finished third in Croatia. The Frenchman is betting on a new podium at the Vodafone Rally in Portugal and this places him as one of the potential winners. The driver has competed in the Portuguese round in 2017, when he closed in a modest 16 th place in WRC2. However, his performance has been improving and it is only natural that in this edition he is a candidate for triumph. Ciamin does not have such visible results in 2021 but, after a third and a fourth place in asphalt tests, he will certainlywant to show that he can also drive quickly in land rallies. Kajetan Kajetanowicz, in Skoda Fabia R5, will also race in Portugal and he wants to show the good pace evidenced in Croatia, a country where he was the winner among WRC3 competitors. In this category, the Portuguese presence is large and strong. Portuguese drivers have, in fact, great chances to enter the fight for victory, despite being more focused on their performances for the Campeonato de Portugal de Rallies. Firstly, the participation of the champion in this title, Armindo Araújo, should be highlighted. Ricardo Te- odósio, champion in 2019, is once more present this time. The two drivers who race for Skoda Fabia R5 are joined by BrunoMagalhães (Hyundai i20 R5),José Pedro Fontes (Citroën C3 R5), Pedro Meireles (Volkswagen Polo R5) and Bernardo Sousa (Skoda Fabia R5), all of them with national titles on the podium. Attention should also be given to the participation of Jan Solans, winner of the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberian, who is present this year with a Citroën C3 R5, and the football coach,André Villas-Boas, also in Citroën, who will compete for a solidarity cause. PORTUGUESE AMBITIONS IN A CATEGORY DOMINATED BY FRENCH