Rallye Açores

The Rallye Açores, known originally as the Volta à Ilha de São Miguel is an international rally racing event based on the Portuguese island of São Miguel Island in the Azores. 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. It has also in the recent past been a round of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and the ERC derivative series, the European Rally Cup West. 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.

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.

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 and has been 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 in 1992 was won by Yves Loubert. Portuguese drivers though would continue 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

Sourced in part from:[1][2]

SeasonWinnerCarReport
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

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2013-09-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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