No one can remain indifferent to the Azores and to the beauty and characteristics of its islands. The Azores Rallye, which was born as the Volta à Ilha de São Miguel (Tour of São Miguel Island), is also an event that no driver or enthusiast of the sport can resist. It is therefore normal that many renowned drivers have passed through São Miguel over the decades. As early as 1973, the event had the participation of the Italians Sandro Munari in a Lancia Fulvia HF and Alcide Paganelli with a Fiat 124 Spider.
If in the following years the competition was almost limited to national teams, in the second half of the 90’s, the Azorean public could witness the performance of names such as Yves Loubet in a Toyota Celica Turbo 4wd (1996), Bruno Thiry in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth and Alister McRae in a Subaru Impreza 555 (1997), Gregoire de Mevius in another Subaru Impreza 555 and Stig Blomqvist in a Ford Escort RS Cosworth (1999) or even Markko Martin and Harri Rivanpera, both in Subaru Impreza S5 WRC (2000).
Since its integration in IRC (2008) and ERC (2012), training and promotion brackets in ascending careers, the Azores have been visited by many of the drivers who in recent years have made the headlines in world rallying, Kris Meeke, Jan Kopecky, Juho Hanninen, Andreas Mikkelsen, Craig Breen or Chris Ingram, among many others. All in all, a rally of stars…