Exciting entry for Rally de Portugal

Nineteen World Rally Cars will head the entry for Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round four of the FIA World Rally Championship powered by Nokia, which takes place from 29 March-1 April

Eight-time world champion and current championship leader Sebastien Loeb tops the entry in the Citroen Total World Rally Team DS3 WRC he shares with co-driver Daniel Elena.

Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen compete in a second factory entry with Nasser Al-Attiyah, Thierry Neuville and Peter van Merksteijn Jr all lining up in factory-assisted DS3s.

Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila head the Ford World Rally Team effort in Portugal alongside Petter Solberg and Chris Patterson.

Ott Tanak and Evgeny Novikov front the M-Sport Ford World Rally Team entry in a brace of Fiesta RS WRCs, with the Brazil World Rally Team starting its first event of 2012 by entering a Fiesta for Daniel Oliveira.

Mads Ostberg is entered in an Adapta World Rally Team Fiesta, while fellow Norwegian Henning Solberg will contest the mainly gravel event in one of the Christian Loriaux-designed cars.

Jari Ketomaa is back in the WRC for the first time since Rally Sweden in a Fiesta, while Dennis Kuipers will start his first event of 2012 in one of the cars. Martin Prokop continues his 10-event WRC campaign in Portugal in a Fiesta.

Local hero Armindo Araujo will front WRC Team MINI Portugal’s bid alongside countryman Miguel Ramalho. Brazilians Paulo Nobre and Edu Paula fill the squad’s second John Cooper Works WRC.

The Prodrive WRC Team breaks cover in Portugal with a pair of John Cooper Works WRCs for Dani Sordo and Patrik Sandell.

Rally de Portugal marks the third round of the Super 2000 world championship with category regulars Yazeed Al Rajhi, Craig Breen, Maciej Oleksowicz and Hayden Paddon all in action. Pedro Meireles appears as a wildcard entrant in an R4-specification Mitsubishi Lancer.

Sebastien Ogier and Kevin Abbring won’t be eligible for SWRC points in their Volkswagen Motorsport-run Skoda Fabia S2000s but are likely to set the pace in Class 2.

The second FIA WRC Academy season gets underway in Portugal with 13 exciting entries including local driver Joao Silva and title favourite Alastair Fisher.

In total 57 crews will tackle the event based in the country’s Algarve region following a superspecial stage in the capital Lisbon on Thursday 29 March.