After two years of candidacy, Portugal's return to the WRC. Traditionally the rally contained a mix of gravel and tarmac stages, a combination which was never a favourite among drivers. In more recent years it was a gravel-only event, based on the west coast near Porto, but the new-look rally has moved to the
Algarve
holiday region on the south coast. The host city was Vilamoura, just a handful of kilmetres from
Faro Airport.
