Grupo Desportivo Comercial technical team was confronted this year with the need to reduce the race schedule by one day, as a result of the FIA’s imposition to reduce participation costs and travel time for teams, especially when they need to travel to the island races of the FIA European Rally Championship calendar.
From the various changes that the technical direction was forced to implement, the highlight was that the ‘super special’ Grupo Marques event saw the number of rounds reduced to one, on a stage that remains one of the most notable super-specials in the European and world rally scene, for the place where it takes place and for the excellent conditions it offers to the public, competitors and the organizational team.
After consulting the FIA, the Azores Rallye technical team was able to reformulate the itinerary and, thus, returned to include the second round in the super special Grupo Marques that will take place by the middle of Saturday. The spectacle is then guaranteed to all those who, year after year, go to that space to attend that magnificent super special.
Meanwhile, registrations for the Azores Rallye are taking place and requests for information and consequent registrations continue to arrive from several drivers from the various quarters of the European continent.
Of the various European sports projects already announced, Craig Breen, Callum Devine and Bruno Magalhães will be in the Azores driving their Hyundai i20 R5. Former mountain biking champion Erik Cais has also announced he is coming to the Azores with his Ford Fiesta R5. The Skoda’s Czech fleet counts as its first representatives with Eyvind Brynildsen, Aloísio Monteiro and Dominik Dinkel.
In ERC2, Tibor Édir Jr. and Dimitry Feafanov will drive their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X. In ERC3, the highlights go to Daniel Radstrom and Javier Pardo both defending the colors of Ford.
Registration closes on March 10 and by the way that, day by day, more drivers shows their intent of being present at 2020 Azores Rallye, the opening event of the FIA European Rally Championship and the Azores rally championship calendar, counting also for the Portuguese championship and for the newly-created Play / AutoAçoreana Trophy, everyone is already expecting for this year’s event to have again an excellent list of participants.