#WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal road program is out with a Power Stage of 52.30kms !!!
Wrc Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2013
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#WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal road program is out with a Power Stage of 52.30kms !!!
Wrc Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2013
Good. I hate those little four-kilometre sprint stages around city streets that are filled with chicanes and hairpins and are designed to emphasise spectator accessibility over challenging, competitive stages.
Perhaps the FIA should introduce a rule whereby all rallies must ave one stage that is at least fifty kilometres long.
Quite poor itinerary (for spectators) compared to how it was this year.
Indeed a bit poor program. Friday finishes by 1400-1500 and Saturday does not even start until 1100. This just to go to Lisbon and back for 3km street stage... I hope to see this kind of stages start to be removed from events, they do not contribute much in my view. Does the street stage in Lisbon gather big crowds, like France this year?
No, it doesn't. It's expected more people attending to the SSS running it on Friday and three hours later than this year. However, despite this change, I believe there will be approximately the same people as last year because almost everybody who will follow the morning stages won't go to Lisbon.Quote:
Originally Posted by makinen_fan
I was there in 2010, but last year I preferred going to the South directly. Seeing that street stage once is enough and of course it doesn't deserve to drive more than 400 kilometres to see it. This year's Friday's itinerary is nonsense.
Rallyguide 1, Overview-maps & Itinerary online now :
R.Guide1
Looking forward to it :)
Third Rally Portugal thread ;)
http://www.motorsportforums.com/rall...al-2013-a.html
http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...al-2013-a.html
Oops ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MartijnS
I,l move it to one thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by MartijnS
Having said this, I think it is also important that the sport becomes accessible to fans, and it's not going to do that when you need to get up at four in the morning, squat yourself out in the middle of a frozen forest and try to distract yourself from worrying over whether or not your unmentionables might fall off in the cold by wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea until a rally car blasts past and coats you in a thick layer of slush that is equal parts mud and crushed ice. The fanatics might get that this is all part of the fun, but newcomers to the sport would probably rather stay in bed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
With that in mind, perhaps organisers could consider an informal, untimed "stage" as part of the official rally launch. I can't remember if they still do it, but the organisers of the Rally Mexico used to start the first stage on the rostrum, and the cars would then blast down through the city's underground roadways and into a spectator section. It was only about a kilometre long and featured a roundabout for the cars to do a donut around (ugh!), but it really revved the crowds up.
So if I was organising a rally, the first thing I would do is find a nice, large, open area where spectators could arrange themselves and see plenty, kind of like Walters' Arena. I'd start the cars at one end and encourage the drivers to put on a bit of a show, but with none of the pressure of a timed run. The, when we get out into the forests, the serious business begins.
The first thing you should do if you were organizing a rally, is find sponsors, which is nearly impossible (ask organizers). Only then you can start praying for local governments to give permission to your requests for using parts of road, forest... :) Then you have to find people who want to help in your organization etc. etc. etc... :) IF the people who always say "if I would be organizer", would really organize something, I bet there would be a lot of failures... Just because they look just at one (the good) side of everything. ;) There is always a good reason that something is in the rally, or that something is not in the rally... Key words are money and permission...Quote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
I'm aware of all of that, and I'm assumming that all of it has been done.
The point I'm trying to make is that the WRC needs to be accessible to fans, but the drivers shouldn't be wasting their time navigating the piddly little super-special stages that meander through towns at pedestrian speeds. By all means, have them so that fans can get close to the action, but don't make them a part of the rally route.
Thanks to that kind of little super-stages I got to know rallies as well as many rally fans, all stages (appart some Walesh ones) are accessible with little or no effort as far as I am concerned. And super-stage in Europian capital is one of the best ways to promote WRC.Quote:
Originally Posted by Prisoner Monkeys
I'm not saying they shouldn't be run - just that they shouldn't be counted as part of the overall rally distance. Just have them as a demonstration stage for the fans. I don't know about you, but I hate looking at a rally itenerary and seeing that the cars will make six passes over a two-kilometre super-special. It is really so necessary? Why not just have one or two passes over it, and add ten competitive kilometres to an actual stage.
Three months left for Rally of Portugal 2013, but there hasn’t been any news about an eventual II Fafe Rally Sprint. Four months before starting the Rally of Portugal 2012 we knew that Fafe Rally Sprint would be run. Nevertheless, there’s still hope to see the WRC in Fafe again this year. I know that ACP and Fafe Council are still negotiating right now a new edition of the event. Let's hope it turn out well and they reach an agreement :) .
I even guess that the cards of the future of the rally are being played ;) .
Let's hope so, it would be amazing to see the rally back in the north. It kinda belongs here.
They´re are waiting for some teams to confirm their presence (eg: VW) and then they will announce the 2013 event. Probably some days after Monte, we'll have more news about this. For me personnaly it was the highlight of the year, in terms of rally, amazing atmosphere and what rally should be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kielder
You're absolutely right :) .Quote:
Originally Posted by Riven
It will be, it's inevitable. There are several factors that keep each rally in the championship: sponsor/financial power, car market interest, organization, public attendance,...Quote:
Originally Posted by panteranegra
Portugal doesn't have a strong financial power (specially nowadays) nor a strong car market (never did, it's a small country with low sale volumes and low buying power per capita)... and also failed in organization in the past (not only public control, but internal organization factors). That's also why Rally Portugal was discarded several years from the championship, along with the current rules that demand a near and central service area not far from the stages.
With the current location in far south (Algarve) the organization is improved, but now the public attendance is much, much lower...
And when you gather all the Pros and Cons.... that's a real problem for the Rally, because now it doesn't have a lot to offer to the sport. And with new markets/countries growing, it will be problematic to justify why this rally has a place in WRC instead of those. That's why year after year the organization have been trying to improve and innovate (doing the first super special inside Lisbon, etc...) It's a matter of showing something...
On the other end, FIA knows that the sport needs more public, fan attention and media marketing. And there's no place like Portugal to have a massive crowd in the background of images and videos, the only reason they are not having that is the current location. Last year they made the Fafe Rally Sprint single stage event in the classic/old Rally location and the attendance was absolutely massive... it was a test in several areas (attendance, organization and public behaviour), and overall it was a tremendous success. And all that without a big marketing for it. That day has shown that the fans will always be ready and the old passion is intact.
And their new mentality of allowing longer stages, a bit more towards "endurance" than "sprint", is a open door for the return of the rally to the North location.
Rally Portugal needs the classic/old location as much as the FIA needs it.
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/420/fafethenandnow.jpg
(not my photo)
And all that was proven by interviews to Michelle Mouton (manager of the WRC) at the time of the Fafe Rally Sprint & Rally Portugal 2012:
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/3...ntmichelle.jpgQuote:
Q: Under the current FIA system of the FIA, do you think that this rally could ever go back to the North again?
Michele: I have to say I really hope so, our sport is a popular sport, and I think we have to stay close to the fans. Ok, when I say "close" I do not mean like the spectators used to be, standing close to the edge of the stages. You have to keep educating people today, but I really hope that the rally can go to the North of Portugal again, close to the people who love the sport.
in GPweek.com (magazine issue 147)
(not my photo)
and later to Jarmo Mahonen:
It won't be long until the Rally returns to the good old stages. :) Either it returns or it will parish of the calendar...Quote:
WRC's Commission President Jarmo Mahonen has explained the FIA’s discontent at many aspects of the traditional rounds of the world championship.[...] Regarding the position of other specific events, Mahonen said that Portugal has a very good rally but in the wrong place. “The FIA want the event back in the north of the country, and the organisers have said that they are ready to leave the Algarve.”
in GPweek.com (magazine issue 155)
Fafe Rally Sprint 2013 confirmed! 6th of April
Notícias
Best news so far this year, I bet even more people will attend this second time, it's gonna be massive. . :) And i'ts another important test for the return of the Rally itself to the good old "cathedral" in 2014, hope everything goes well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sardalense
I would like to see a good media coverage there from the teams, with those new drones and so on... it will be a good opportunity for photo/video marketing, not only for them but for the sport itself(precisely what FIA wants to boost).
I just bought fligts to Faro and apartment hotel from Albufeira :)
7-15 april there. Hopefully good weather, I will spend my winter holiday at same time :D
Poster of the dessert for II Fafe Rally Sprint :D :
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphoto...38724491_n.jpg
Looking forward to Rally de Portugal!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFRF5QWm2SQ
The organisation has been uploading some videos. On this one you can see some historic images:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOfMCqh6hgU
Specifically, the above video was uploaded by ACP (Automóvel Club de Portugal).
I take advantage to post a pic of mine from last year. I'll miss this year the stages close to Tavira.
http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/...psb463953c.jpg
Hopefully it's not that wet weather all the week when I'm there :)
my 1st visit to rally Portugal. Any tips on where to watch and do you have to pay to get to stages? thanks
Nice, I hope you enjoy the rally and your stay.Quote:
Originally Posted by dodgey1
Theres no need to pay to go to stages. There is a rally pass option which costs around 175€ (per person) which grants you 2 exclusive spectator zones per day and exclusive parking around the service park, plus some minor souvenirs. In my opinion it's not worth the money and it's not mandatory. Unfortunately here we dont have much freedom when it comes to choose spots, we tend to stay in spectator zones which are chosen by the organization and usually they are ok. Every year the organizers put up in Youtube a video (Rally de Portugal 2012 ZE 13 Tavira - YouTube) of all spectator zones, usually one month before start, so you can choose where you want to go, they also give a pretty description on how to acess the stages.
One big point for the rally pass is, that you have service park access, "normal spectators" only have rally village accessQuote:
Originally Posted by Francis44
Last year there was no difference at the servicepark whit or without pass. Didn't read into it now whether that changed though.. Who would pay 175 euro to be able to go to the service park anyway? :)
Will the Mentos Mini SPC project start on this event finally?
YesQuote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
Yes, it will.Quote:
Originally Posted by Plan9
Hi, first post on here but was wondering if anybody had info with regards to this rally,,
third time in succession to this rally and last year we were given sat nav co-ordinates to every stage but this year they don't seem to be available on the website, I have tried to email acp twice but so far have had no reply, also can someone advise on how I put a welsh flag on my name ;-)
many thx Steve
you have right
you have 100% rightQuote:
Originally Posted by MartijnS
Hi,Quote:
Originally Posted by Swills11
There is my first post here.
Regarding the information from the Rally Portugal, you already the rally guide on the website. of the rally. For the stages information I think that will appear son, normally it's one mouth early. But a differences from the last year are not big I think. You can look on youtube the stages of last year, and the organization has put videos of the spectator areas, they must be there even. I will see if I have the google earth file from last year, and you can have a ideia of the rally.
If you nedd further question, just ask.
Best regards,
Bruno Magalhães will participate in the rally. He'll drive a Peugeot 207 S2000 of Delta Racing. It could be his only event of the season.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BE8DAOjCQAADghK.jpg:large
Hi,this will be my first time in Portugal ,any tips and where can you get the program's ,really looking forward to it and staying in villamoura. Cheers