Expert Opinion: Can anyone stop Toyota extending its WRC winning streak in Portugal?

Portugal is one of the WRC’s most popular rounds among both drivers and fans, offering a challenge that will test teams and their machines to the absolute limit across 24 tricky stages. 

Toyota has won the opening four rallies this year and is unbeaten in Portugal since 2019, but nothing can be taken for granted in the WRC. Will Toyota extend its winning streak? Can Hyundai ignite its season with its updated 2025 car? Or will an expanded four-car M-Sport-Ford line-up spring a surprise?   

To find out, DAZN spoke to legendary WRC television commentator Becs Williams for an expert opinion on the form book.

Toyota are the favourites but road position will come into play

“It was a really dismal round for Hyundai in Gran Canaria last time out. It was difficult to watch and difficult to commentate on, seeing them struggle with all three cars. You would hope they would bounce back here in Portugal but they are up against Toyota.

Toyota

"They have been on the top step of the podium in Portugal since 2019. They also have a dominant force in eight-time world champion Sebastien Ogier, who has the record of six wins here and loves this rally. Toyota are definitely the ones you would be looking to, to produce a winner. 

"Road position will come into play now with seven successive gravel rallies and that is going to be a key factor. It is going to be notoriously difficult for championship leader Elfyn Evans and second-placed Kalle Rovanpera, starting first and second on the road, to achieve as victory.

"But it can and has been done in the past. If I was looking to put my money on anyone to reach the top step of the podium, it would be Sebastien Ogier.

“Portugal is famous over the years from not really deviating too much from its route. It has got its classic stages and it has stuck with them, but they have thrown two new ones in at the end of a huge day of rallying, without a proper midpoint service.

"Everything will hinge for me on Friday. If you make it through Friday in a good position then you are in a strong place for the rest of the weekend. From the start, there is going to have to be that little bit of caution.”

Expect Hyundai to issue a fightback with vigour 

“Absolutely, Hyundai could spring a surprise and I think there is going to be a real fire in the belly of the team after Gran Canaria, where Toyota scored a 1-2-3-4.

Hyundai

"It was a morale blow and demoralising for them to watch Toyota sometimes go 1-2-3-4-5 through the asphalt stages when they have put in such a huge amount of work. But I think the upgrades to that car have been geared more to the gravel rallies. 

“They are going to come out of the box with a vigour that we haven’t seen so far this year. It is going to have to be a measured approach though because Friday is so difficult running through 10 stages without a proper midday service. They will have to find a balance.

"Thierry Neuville and Ott Tanak are well used to knowing when to push and when to hold back. But Adrien Fourmaux is the young pretender, and he really wants to show what he can do. Now we are back to traditional rallies we will now see who has got their margins right.  

“We will really see the capabilities of Hyundai’s upgraded car, which has so far only run on the snow in Sweden in February. It could be out front from the get go and then Toyota could be on the back foot.

"That is the beauty of it all is not knowing who is going to be where. Based on history you would go Toyota, but based on the Hyundai upgrades that could come into play here, could it be Hyundai sneaking ahead?"

Can M-Sport join the fight with Martins Sesks rejoining an expanded team? 

“I think M-Sport has got every chance of offering a surprise with four Rally1 cars set to line-up. Full-timer Josh McErlean had a great result finishing second in WRC2 last year, so he knows what this rally is about.

M-Sport Ford

"He will have far better machinery under him this time around. I don’t think we can expect miracles from McErlean but the team will want to see progress from him. 

“I think the fact that M-Sport have four cars here with the refreshing enthusiasm of Martins Sesks rejoining the team for his second start of a six-round programme. He will bring something to the team.

"I don’t know how competitive he is going to be in an event that is not a flat out fast gravel event, which is where we saw him do so well on last year in Poland and Latvia. 

“This is a far more difficult challenge and there are so many complexities that can catch you out. He’s got the outright speed but it is stringing the speed and knowing where you have to push and hold back because it isn’t a flat out assault.

"Sesks will bring a verve back to the championship and we are all excited to see what he can do. Consistency is key. Manufacturers are looking for outright speed but they need to know that he won’t be throwing it off the road, he has to be consistent to have a future in this sport.”

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