The Rallye Açores, known originally as the Volta à Ilha de São Miguel is an international rallying event based on the Portuguese island of São Miguel Island in the Azores.

Rallye Azores
56th Rallye logo
StatusActive
GenreMotor Sport event
Date(s)Spring
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s)Azores
CountryPortugal
Inaugurated1965
Websitehttps://www.azoresrallye.com/
Start podium in Ponta Delgada at the 2017 event

The rally was first run in 1965 as locals gathered for a race called Volta à Ilha de São Miguel, which translated means Round the Island of São Miguel. This was six years after the establishment of the Rali Vinho da Madeira on the Portuguese island of Madeira, much closer to Africa.

The event has been a long running round of the European Rally Championship and the Portuguese Rally Championship as well as spawning its own championship in the Azores. Unlike other international events held on Atlantic Ocean islands that it is frequently paired with, the Rali Vinho da Madeira and the Rally Islas Canarias it is a gravel event.

Despite its isolated location, over 1500 kilometres from the coast of Portugal (the Azores are actually closer to Canada), it has since the early 1970s been a part of Portugal's national championship. It became an international event since 1992 when it was first included in the European Rally Championship. The rally was demoted to the European Rally Cup West in 2004 and dropped entirely in 2006. In 2008 the rally regained international standing with the European Rally Cup South series and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge the following year. After the death of the IRC in 2012 the European Championship returned in 2013.

Portuguese drivers have dominated the event. A non-Portuguese driver did not win the event until the first international event was won in 1992 by Yves Loubet. Portuguese drivers continued to dominate, though, with Fernando Peres winning the rally seven times in the international era. Carlos Bica has won the event four times.

List of winners

edit

Sourced in part from:[1][2]

Season Winner Car Report
1965   Luís Toste Fiat 1500
1966   Luís Cordeiro Ford Cortina GT
1967   Luís Cordeiro Ford Cortina GT
1968   José Lampreia Renault 8 Gordini
1969   Américo Nunes Porsche 911 S
1970   Jorge Nascimento BMW 2002
1971   Raúl Mendonça BMW 2002
1972   António Borges Porsche 911 S
1973   Giovanni Salvi Porsche 911 S
1974 not held
1975   Manuel Inácio Opel 1904 SR
1976   Giovanni Salvi Ford Escort RS2000
1977   "Larama" Ford Escort RS1600
1978   "Larama" Ford Escort RS1600
1979   José Pedro Borges Opel Kadett GT/E
1980   Mário Silva Ford Escort RS
1981   António Santinho Mendes Datsun Violet 160J
1982   Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1983   Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1984   Joaquim Santos Ford Escort RS
1985   Joaquim Moutinho Renault 5 Turbo
1986   Jorge Ortigão Toyota Corolla GT
1987   Inverno Amaral Renault 11 Turbo
1988   Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1989   Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1990   Carlos Bica Lancia Delta HF
1991   Carlos Bica Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
1992   Yves Loubet Toyota Celica GT-Four
1993   José Miguel Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
1994   Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1995   José Miguel Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1996   Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1997   Bruno Thiry Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1998   Fernando Peres Ford Escort WRC
1999   Grégoire De Mévius Subaru Impreza 555
2000   Markko Märtin Subaru Impreza WRC
2001   Juha Kankkunen Subaru Impreza WRC
2002   Rui Madeira Ford Focus WRC
2003   Fernando Peres Ford Escort RS Cosworth
2004   Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII
2005   Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
2006   Armindo Araújo Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII
2007   Fernando Peres Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX
2008   Bruno Magalhães Peugeot 207 S2000
2009   Kris Meeke Peugeot 207 S2000 Report
2010   Bruno Magalhães Peugeot 207 S2000 Report
2011   Juho Hänninen Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2012   Andreas Mikkelsen Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2013   Jan Kopecký Škoda Fabia S2000 Report
2014   Bernardo Sousa Ford Fiesta RRC Report
2015   Craig Breen Peugeot 208 T16 R5 Report
2016   Ricardo Moura Ford Fiesta R5 Report
2017   Bruno Magalhães Škoda Fabia R5 Report
2018   Alexey Lukyanuk Ford Fiesta R5 Report
2019   Łukasz Habaj Škoda Fabia R5 Report
2020 Rally cancelled due to COVID-19
2021   Andreas Mikkelsen Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Report
2022   Efrén Llarena Škoda Fabia R5 Evo Report
2023   Sébastien Loeb[3] Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 Report

References

edit
  1. ^ "Sata Rallye Açores » Previous Winners". Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  2. ^ "Rallye Açores Hall of fame". ewrc-results.com. 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  3. ^ Howard, Tom (2023-04-02). "WRC legend Loeb victorious on rally return in Azores". motorsport.com. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
edit