The 2022 European Rally Championship gets underway this weekend in Portugal with the return of Rally Serras de Fafe.
Now under the guidance of WRC Promoter instead of European Events, change is afoot but the opening round of the season is familiar, having featured on the ERC schedule in 2020.
Here’s all the key information you need this week.
Entry breakdown:
Total 43 crews
36 ERC crews
3 ERC3 crews
14 ERC4 crews
ERC
After an impressive outing on the Monte Carlo Rally where he finished second in WRC2, Erik Cais is ready to get back to the ERC as he attempts to build on his six place finish in the drivers’ standings last year.
That job will be made slightly easier with the withdrawal of Nikolay Gryazin from the event, although he will no doubt face stiff competition from top seed Efrén Llarena.
Llarena finished runner-up in the championship last year, but he has now switched to Team MRF tyres, racing alongside Norbert Herczig and Simone Campedelli.
Last year’s Portuguese champion Ricardo Teodósio will also tackle the opening event, while two-time PWRC champion Armindo Araujo will look to build on his third place finish on the event last year.
Nil Solans also lines up in a Volkswagen having spent last year in the Hyundai fold.
ERC3
Just three Rally3 cars will compete on the rally with Dmitry Feofanov leading the charge.
Feofanov spent last year competing with a Suzuki Swift R4, finishing runner-up in the ERC2 standings, but he will tackle the Portuguese gravel this time round with a Ford Fiesta Rally3.
ERC4
Rally Serras do Fafe, along with the second round in Azores, won’t count towards the ERC4 Junior championship. In past ERC seasons the Juniors have made up the backbone of the Rally4-based two-wheel-drive category entry lists, so numbers are likely to grow later in the season.
But seven cars have still entered the season-opening round in ERC4, with Anthony Fotia heading the bill.
Fotia won the ERC Junior class on the final round in the Canaries in November, and he will be looking to build on that as he enters his second season in the ERC.
Itinerary
Friday March 11
Shakedown Lagoa (1.88 miles) 1630
SS1 Fafe Super Special Stage (0.88 miles) 2108
Saturday March 12
SS2 Boticas 1 (9.35 miles) 0900
SS3 Cabeceiras de Basto 1 (6.73 miles) 1017
SS4 Vieira do Minho 1 (10.52 miles) 1120
SS5 Luílhas 1 (7.37 miles) 1220
SS6 Boticas 2 (9.35 miles) 1509
SS7 Cabeceiras e Basto 2 (6.73 miles) 1626
SS8 Vieira do Minho 2 (10.52 miles) 1729
SS9 Luílhas 2 (7.37 miles) 1829
Sunday March 13
SS10 Montim 1 (5.42 miles) 0808
SS11 Seixoso 1 (6.19 miles) 0840
SS12 Santa Quitéria 1 (5.70 miles) 0915
SS13 Lameirinha 1 (9.21 miles) 1008
SS14 Montim 2 (5.42 miles) 1220
SS15 Seixoso 2 (6.19 miles) 1252
SS16 Santa Quitéria 2 (5.70 miles) 1327
SS17 Lameirinha 2 (9.21 miles) 1508 [powerstage]
Total competitive distance: 123.4 miles
