The Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP) and the Guarda Nacional Republicana (GNR) appealed this Tuesday for good behavior from fans throughout the four days of the 57th edition of the Rally of Portugal, which takes to the road on Thursday .
The organization of this fifth race of the World Championship (WRC) expects more than a million people to watch the competitors pass through what is the most popular stage to date.
“Our rally is a global benchmark in terms of safety and we want it to continue that way. We ask fans who will be on the sections to respect all instructions from the GNR and the race commissioners, and to watch the rally only in areas designated for the public , which were designed to guarantee all accessibility and safety conditions. Only in this way will we be able to guarantee the normal course of the event”, appealed Horácio Rodrigues, the rally director.
The GNR also emphasizes the need for the public to collaborate with the organization and authorities.
“It will be one of the fundamental pillars for the success of this operation. We have a complex operation, which required a lot of planning on our part, and we want to guarantee the safety of all spectators and participants in the event”, highlighted Lieutenant Colonel Mafalda Almeida.
The same GNR official pointed to “adverse atmospheric conditions, with high temperatures and dry weather”.
“As we are in forest areas, we reinforce the call for everyone’s collaboration, also to prevent fires”, he concluded.
The race goes on the road on Thursday, with the Figueira da Foz super special, the first of the 22 special stages that will be contested until Sunday.
Among the favorites are the world champion, Finnish Kalle Rovanperä (Toyota Yaris), or Sébastien Ogier (Toyota Yaris), winner of the Portuguese race five times.
