Five months after its debut in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship, the Historic Rally Fafe returns (April 9–11), but now on gravel stages and within a reshaped competition, kicking off in one of Portugal’s "cathedrals" of rallying. With just over three weeks until the starting flag, Demoporto (Clube de Desportos Motorizados do Porto), the long-standing partner of the Fafe City Council, has already registered 11 entries. This hints at a high-quality entry list featuring iconic cars such as the Fiat 131 Abarth, the Mercedes 500 SL, and the Porsche 911, alongside top-tier drivers. According to information received by the organizers, the reigning champion Jari-Matti Latvala is also expected to attend in his Toyota Celica 4WD, determined to repeat his 2025 victory.

"I believe the rally's structure will be interesting and will appeal to the drivers, as it uses iconic WRC stages, as one would hope. It was necessary to extend the rally beyond the municipality of Fafe to meet the regulatory stage mileage, and in Felgueiras, the well-known Seixoso and Santa Quitéria—famous in World Championship history—are once again taking center stage. Furthermore, we also sought to include other older classics, and even the S. Pedro stage is a section of Lameirinha. Of course, care was also taken to differentiate this rally as much as possible, structurally speaking, from the one we will organize next October to close out the ERC."explained Carlos Cruz, president of Demoporto and the person responsible for the Historic Rally Fafe itinerary.

The big news for 2026 in the FIA European Historic Rally Championship (EHRC) is the split of the calendar into two competitions: asphalt and gravel. Motorsport’s governing body believes that segmenting the events by surface type adds value and boosts the championship's dynamics. Fafe has the honor of kicking off the EHRC's five-rally gravel season, preceding the Acropolis Rally.

"We would have preferred this rally to be on asphalt, but the FIA made its interest in having it run on gravel stages known to us through Demoporto, and we agreed. It is a very difficult year because the bad weather felt across the entire country is requiring a major effort from the Fafe City Council to repair the road surfaces, including those of the special stages. Therefore, organizing the rally will be an enormous challenge due to it being on gravel. The various events we host utilize all the tracks in the municipality, which is why we have been forced to refuse—contrary to what is customary—the holding of tests. It is not out of ill-will, but simply a way to safeguard the various commitments we have already undertaken. The bad weather has caused us numerous setbacks, as it has for other councils in different regions of the country, and I am waiting to see what will happen in the short or medium term regarding the scheduled events. We would have preferred an asphalt or even a mixed rally, especially since we also invest in asphalt events and will not have any this year, but, ultimately, we are always available for the challenges that Demoporto and the promoters, international or national, present to us. We will welcome the first rally of the season with open arms, as is our habit, striving to do our best within this highly demanding framework."stated Parcídio Summavielle, Vice-President of the Fafe City Council

The effects of the storm that hit central Portugal with greater intensity during the final days of January also reached the municipality of Fafe