How the WRC celebrated its milestone in style

Round up a bunch of the world’s greatest rally drivers from the past 50 years in a room and you are set for an unforgettable evening. That’s exactly what happened for the World Rally Championship’s 50th anniversary season celebrations at Rally Portugal last weekend.

The WRC went to significant lengths to celebrate its milestone, organising a special gala dinner for 250 guests on the Wednesday night before the rally. You couldn’t help but bump into legendary drivers, co-drivers and team bosses.

In today’s fast-paced world it can be easy to focus on the present and the future, and forget about the past. So it was refreshing to be able to spend an evening remembering the WRC’s history and its great stories retold by its many legends. The guest list amassed 28 of the 50 drivers’ titles to date, featuring Walter Rohrl (1980,1982), Ari Vatanen (1981), Miki Biasion (1988,1989), Carlos Sainz (1990, 1992), Marcus Gronholm (2000, 2002), Petter Solberg (2003), Sebastien Loeb (2004-12), Ott Tanak (2019) and Sebastien Ogier (2013-18, 2020-21).

Watching the stars from the past and present arrive at Rally Portugal’s Exponor exhibition facility highlighted something that can only really be found in rallying. There is a close-knit relationship between the drivers and co-drivers from rival crews, which stems from the fact that rallying is all about beating the clock rather than the opponent. It means there are fewer moments where conflict can occur and deep rifts set in, creating a family vibe in the room.

The occasion warranted the appearance of new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, a former rally driver himself, who spoke passionately of his love for rallying and his desire to see the discipline grow and build upon its rich history.

For anyone who was introduced to the WRC in the 1990s, this event was unforgettable. The ‘matador’ himself Carlos Sainz…