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The closing round of the European Rally Championship (ERC), the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal (October 23–25)—which is also the penultimate round of the Portuguese Rally Championship (CPR)—boasts an impressive entry list featuring no fewer than 41 Rally2 cars, 12 of which are competing in the CPR. Despite being the final event of the ERC season with the title already secured by Finland’s Teemu Suninen, the event—spanning the municipalities of Guimarães, Fafe, Felgueiras, Boticas, Cabeceiras de Basto, and Ribeira de Pena—has sparked immense enthusiasm and passion among top-level international teams competing in FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) championships.
“The special stages of Northern Portugal, with their diverse characteristics combined with key elements such as scenery, hospitality, and gastronomy, along with the passion of the fans, remain a major draw for the rally elite, including both drivers and automotive manufacturers. I believe there is enormous potential to expand the rally geographically across Northern Portugal and elevate it to a higher level. We will join forces with our partners and work toward this goal, looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal…,” stated Ricardo Araújo, Mayor of Guimarães, early this Monday afternoon during the presentation ceremony of the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal held in the main hall of the city hall.
Guimarães, known as the birthplace of Portuguese nationality, joins the host municipalities of the ERC 2026 finale for the first time and will sit at the epicenter of its competitive and organizational structure. The ceremonial start will take place at Campo de S. Mamede on Friday afternoon, preceded by an autograph and fan interaction session. Later that day, the rally cars will parade through the streets of the Historic Center.
Early in the evening, the competitive action kicks off with the first special stage (2.92 km), named Monte Penha/Guimarães, taking place on the winding roads of the well-known Rampa da Penha. This will be the only stage held on asphalt, as the remaining 16 stages (178.18 km) will feature gravel surfaces. The final podium and prize-giving ceremony will once again take place at Campo de S. Mamede in Guimarães.
Britain’s Kris Meeke, who spent the past three seasons competing full-time in the CPR and won the championship title in 2024, returns to Portugal to compete in the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal behind the wheel of a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 fielded by Toyota Gazoo Racing Caetano Portugal. This marks a reunion after driving for the team in 2025 and returning to the cockpit of the Japanese car at the Rali da Madeira last August.
“Portugal is steeped in rally history. I can do a test on a rainy Tuesday morning in the middle of nowhere and hundreds of people turn up. People here are passionate about the sport. How can you not love that? The quality of the roads is unmatched compared to any national championship in Europe, and on top of that, the weather is usually great, the food is fantastic, and there’s a great social side to it—everything is a bit more relaxed, and you can probably tell I’m really enjoying driving right now,” Meeke stated in an interview with rally portal Dirtfish, highlighting his strong connection to the country.
It is worth noting that the British driver competed in and won the Rally Ceredigion in early September—the sixth and penultimate round of the ERC—in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2, making him the clear favorite to repeat that success in Portugal, where he knows the stages intimately.
Among the 29 foreign entries competing under “ERC status,” six have spent most of the season in the World Rally Championship (WRC), primarily in the WRC2 category. These include Russia’s Nikolay Gryazin (Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2), driving for the official Lancia Corse HF team. Latvia’s Mārtiņš Sesks (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), for instance, completed a six-round WRC program behind the wheel of M-Sport’s Ford Puma Rally1, which included the Vodafone Rally de Portugal in early May.
The other WRC2 regulars on the entry list are Roope Korhonen (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Leo Rossel (Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2), Jan Solans (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), and Pablo Sarrazin, who will swap his Citroën C3 Rally2 for a Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2.
Rúben Rodrigues (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Armindo Araújo (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), Pedro Almeida (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Guilherme Meireles (Skoda Fabia Rally2 Evo), and Luís Cidade (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) are the only five Portuguese drivers participating in the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal under official FIA ERC entry status. The key advantage over other CPR drivers is that they will benefit from a more favorable starting position rather than starting further back down the field.
Drivers competing outside of this status include Ricardo Teodósio (Citroën C3 Rally2), José Pedro Fontes (Lancia Ypsilon Rally2), Pedro Meireles (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), Rafael Rego (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Gonçalo Henriques (Hyundai i20 N Rally2), Paulo Neto (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), and Rui Borges (Skoda Fabia R5). The registration deadline for CPR drivers closes late Monday evening.
Although the 2026 ERC title has already been decided in favor of Finland’s Teemu Suninen (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2)—who, contrary to initial plans, will be absent from this final round—there is still plenty at stake, starting with the runner-up spot. Currently in second place, Italy’s Andrea Mabellini (official Lancia HF Corse driver in a Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2) enters the event with a 6-point lead over 2025 ERC Champion Miko Marczyk of Poland (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2).
Young Finnish driver Ville Vatanen secured the ERC3 title in the previous round and will now make his Rally2 debut in the season finale aboard a Ford Fiesta Rally2.
Another intense battle will be for the ERC4/Junior ERC championship title, contested by young German drivers Timo Schulz and Tom Heindrichs of the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team, both in Opel Corsa Rally4s.
Team MRF Tyres is set to celebrate its fourth consecutive Teams’ Championship title, while Pirelli is on track to secure back-to-back tyre supplier titles.
Young driver Roope Hirvonen, son of former multi-factory WRC driver Mikko Hirvonen (Ford, Subaru, Citroën) and married to French-Portuguese native Linda Martins Hirvonen, will make his Portuguese debut at this final 2026 ERC round. Roope has been rallying in entry-level categories in Finland since 2022 and made his international debut this past weekend at the Rally Citta di Bassano in Bassano del Grappa, Italy, driving an Opel Corsa Rally4. At the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal, he will take the wheel of a Peugeot 208 Rally4.
Unlike most of the previous four ERC rounds held in Northern Portugal, where rain played a major role, weather forecasts for this edition look significantly more favorable.
As of today, for the week of October 19 to 25, forecasts for the regions hosting the Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal point to stable weather conditions with sunshine and high clouds. Temperatures are expected to range between highs of 20–22°C (68–72°F) and lows of 9–12°C (48–54°F).