Oliver Solberg ended the first day of the Vodafone Rally de Portugal at the top of the overall classification with a time of exactly 28 minutes. The Nordic driver holds a 3.4-second lead over Adrien Fourmaux, who kept the Hyundai i20 N Rally1 in contention by taking the first scratch on gravel in the afternoon.

The organisers scheduled an atypical start with two long stages north of Coimbra to give prominence to gravel from the first afternoon. Fourmaux was fastest on the 15.08-kilometre Águeda-Sever, just a tenth ahead of Elfyn Evans and another tenth over Solberg himself. The Norwegian’s response came on Sever-Albergaria, a 20.24-kilometre stretch where he beat Thierry Neuville’s time by 1.4 seconds and Fourmaux’s by 3.6 seconds to jump into first place. Solberg managed his advantage on the Figueira da Foz super special, a 1.93-kilometre mixed layout by the sea. With no evening service, he reduced risk exposure and conceded the scratch to Ogier and Evans, who shared the best time without changing the gaps at the front.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

Tight battle at the top

Five drivers began Friday within a 7.5-second window. Ogier is third, 7.2 seconds behind, Neuville fourth at 7.4s, and Evans fifth at 7.5s. No one set the best time on two different stages, reflecting a surface that changed behaviour between passes, as Neuville anticipated during the pre‑event recce.

Data and feelings at Toyota

The Japanese team placed all four of its official drivers inside the top five: Solberg leads, Ogier is third, Evans fifth, and Pajari sixth, 10.7s back. However, neither Ogier nor Evans was satisfied with the setup. The Frenchman admitted struggling to find rhythm on Águeda-Sever and only improved his feelings on the second stage after adjusting parameters in the unit. Evans, tasked with opening the road on Sever-Albergaria, paid the price of cleaning loose gravel and lost traction compared to those starting further back.

Solberg's challenge

For Solberg, this Thursday in Portugal serves as a test of composure. Two weeks ago at the Rally Islas Canarias, a collision with the barriers knocked him out of the fight when he was leading the overall by 2.2 seconds over Ogier with only a couple of stages left. That retirement cost him a drop from third to fourth in the championship. Speed has never been in doubt; the question now is whether he can sustain it over three days on a surface that punishes any excess. Pajari and Takamoto Katsuta also suffered from their starting positions. The Finn and the Japanese, accustomed to a more favourable running order in previous events, started third and second respectively and lacked the necessary grip to break into the front battle. Pajari finished sixth, 10.7 seconds behind, and Katsuta eighth, 15.9s back. Both cited a lack of confidence in the balance of their cars.

Photo By Red Bull Content Pool

Situation in WRC2

In WRC2, Jan Solans ended the day as leader in the Škoda Fabia RS Rally2. Teemu Suninen had led the category on the first stage with a margin of 3.6 seconds, but a technical issue on his Toyota, possibly related to the choice of hard compound tyres, dropped him to fifth place on the following stage. Yohan Rossel, the championship leader, debuted the Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale Rally2 on gravel and placed within two tenths of Solans before the halt.

Friday

Friday raises the stakes with seven stages laid out around Arganil. The teams will run double passes through Mortágua, Arganil and Lousã with a single run through Góis, totalling 96.22 kilometres against the clock. A remote service zone halfway through the day forces drivers to manage their tyres carefully in the morning with no room for deep repairs. The reconnaissance described clean sections but with a tendency to rut on the second passes, a scenario that will test tyre durability and traction as the day progresses.

WRC Overall Day 1- Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2026

POS	#	PILOTO/COPILOTO	EQUIPO	MARCA	MODELO	TIEMPO
1	99	Oliver SOLBERG Elliott EDMONDSON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	28:00.0
2	16	Adrien FOURMAUX Alexandre CORIA	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 03.4
3	1	Sébastien OGIER Vincent LANDAIS	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 07.2
4	11	Thierry NEUVILLE Martijn WYDAEGHE	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 07.4
5	33	Elfyn EVANS Scott MARTIN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 07.5
6	5	Sami PAJARI Marko SALMINEN	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt2	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 10.7
7	6	Daniel SORDO Cándido CARRERA	Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team	Hyundai	I20 N Rally1	+ 11.7
8	18	Takamoto KATSUTA Aaron JOHNSTON	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt	Toyota	Gr Yaris Rally1	+ 15.9
9	55	Joshua MCERLEAN Eoin TREACY	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 23.4
10	95	Jon ARMSTRONG Shane BYRNE	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 24.8
11	22	Mārtinš SESKS Renārs FRANCIS	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Puma Rally1	+ 24.9
12	36	Jan SOLANS Rodrigo SANJUAN	Ph.ph	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:01.3
13	25	Nikolay GRYAZIN Konstantin ALEKSANDROV	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 1:02.2
14	31	Alejandro CACHÓN Borja ROZADA	Toyota España	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:05.4
15	21	Yohan ROSSEL Arnaud DUNAND	Lancia Corse Hf	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 1:05.6
16	29	Andreas MIKKELSEN Jørn LISTERUD	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:07.1
17	27	Teemu SUNINEN Janni HUSSI	Teemu Suninen	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:12.5
18	37	Mille JOHANSSON Johan GRÖNVALL	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 1:12.5
19	26	Gus GREENSMITH Jonas ANDERSSON	Gus Greensmith	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:13.1
20	20	Roope KORHONEN Anssi VIINIKKA	Rautio Motorsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:13.9
21	30	Eric CAMILLI Thibault DE LA HAYE	Eric Camilli	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:22.0
22	32	Giovanni TRENTIN Pietro Elia OMETTO	Mt Racing Srl	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:26.1
23	24	Roberto DAPRÀ Luca GUGLIELMETTI	Roberto Daprà	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:29.5
24	28	Fabrizio ZALDIVAR Marcelo DER OHANNESIAN	Fabrizio Zaldivar	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:30.9
25	40	Eliott DELECOUR Romain ROCHE	Eliott Delecour	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:34.4
26	39	Pablo SARRAZIN Yannick ROCHE	Pablo Sarrazin	Citroen	C3	+ 1:44.1
27	49	Rúben RODRIGUES Rui RAIMUNDO	Ruben Rodrigues	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:46.5
28	43	Harry BATES Keaton WILLIAMS	Harry Bates	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:47.3
29	38	Yuki YAMAMOTO James FULTON	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 1:48.4
30	50	Gonçalo HENRIQUES Inês VEIGA	Gonçalo Henriques	Hyundai	I20 N	+ 1:52.4
31	44	Armindo ARAÚJO Luís RAMALHO	Armindo Araújo	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 1:56.8
32	51	Pedro ALMEIDA António COSTA	Pedro Almeida	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 2:02.7
33	41	Tristan CHARPENTIER Loris PASCAUD	Orsák Rallysport	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 2:13.7
34	45	José Pedro FONTES Inês PONTE	José Pedro Fontes	Lancia	Ypsilon Hf	+ 2:17.3
35	48	Pedro MEIRELES Mário CASTRO	Pedro Meireles	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 2:27.3
36	58	Bernhard TEN BRINKE Tom WOODBURN	Bernhard Ten Brinke	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 2:31.7
37	53	Hugo LOPES Magda OLIVEIRA	Hugo Lopes	Hyundai	I20 N	+ 2:37.1
38	47	Ricardo TEODÓSIO José TEIXEIRA	Ricardo Teodósio	Citroen	C3	+ 2:40.5
39	56	Diogo SALVI Gonçalo CUNHA	Diogo Salvi	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 2:46.3
40	59	Adrien MOSCA Julie AMBLARD	Printsport	Toyota	Gr Yaris	+ 3:06.2
41	57	Ricardo FILIPE Filipe CARVALHO	Ricardo Filipe	Skoda	Fabia	+ 3:07.1
42	54	Paulo NETO Carlos MAGALHÃES	Paulo Neto	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 3:15.4
43	62	Ugur SOYLU Kutay ERTUGRUL	Gp Garage My Team	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 3:23.2
44	78	Hugues LAPOUILLE Philippe DEVIENNE	Hugues Lapouille	Skoda	Fabia	+ 3:38.4
45	77	Óscar RAL Axel CORONADO	Baporo Motorsport Ca	Skoda	Fabia Evo	+ 3:39.4
46	61	Tiago SILVA Jorge HENRIQUES	Tiago Silva	Skoda	Fabia	+ 3:44.3
47	46	Ferran JUBANY Alejandro LÓPEZ	Ferran Jubany	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 3:48.2
48	63	Eugen CĂRĂGUI Robert FUS	Eugen Caragui	Citroen	C3	+ 3:52.8
49	34	Mattéo CHATILLON Maxence CORNUAU	Mattéo Chatillon	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 3:55.2
50	64	Jorge MARTÍNEZ Marcelo BRIZIO	Jorge Martínez	Hyundai	I20 N	+ 4:24.5
51	81	Pierleonardo BANCHER Andrea MARCON	Pierleonardo Bancher	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 5:27.9
52	35	Romet JÜRGENSON Siim OJA	M-sport Ford World Rally Team	Ford	Fiesta Mk Ii	+ 11:18.5
53	52	Diogo MARÚJO Jorge CARVALHO	Diogo Marújo	Skoda	Fabia Evo	+ 21:38.4
54	23	Robert VIRVES Jakko VIILO	Toksport Wrt	Skoda	Fabia Rs	+ 30:55.6
55	71	Ali TÜRKKAN Oytun ALBAYRAK	Castrol Ford Team Türkiye	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:38.8
56	73	Gil MEMBRADO Adrián PÉREZ	Gil Membrado	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:41.8
57	65	Matteo FONTANA Alessandro ARNABOLDI	Matteo Fontana	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:48.8
58	70	Calle CARLBERG Jørgen ERIKSEN	Calle Carlberg	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:52.4
59	69	Jarkko NIKARA Tomiya MAEKAWA	Toyota Gazoo Racing Wrt Ng	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 2:54.0
60	74	Raúl HERNÁNDEZ José MURADO	Raúl Hernández	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:55.3
61	72	Leevi LASSILA Mikko LUKKA	Leevi Lassila	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 2:58.1
62	76	Craig RAHILL Conor SMITH	Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 3:07.6
63	75	Kerem KAZAZ Corentin SILVESTRE	Team Petrol Ofisi	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 3:17.9
64	68	André MARTÍNEZ Matias ARANGUREN	André Martínez	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 3:25.0
65	79	Sylvain TAMISIER Mathieu TAMISIER	Sylvain Tamisier	Renault	Clio Rally3	+ 3:51.9
66	66	Eric ROYÈRE Maxime ANDERNACK	Eric Royère	Ford	Fiesta Rally3	+ 3:58.8
67	80	Helder MIRANDA Vitor PEREIRA	Hélder Miranda	Peugeot	208 Rally4	+ 4:45.1