IRC to drop Rali Vinho Madeira from calendar

Rali Vinho Madeira will not form part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2011 and 2012, Eurosport Events, the promoter of the IRC, has confirmed.

Géraldine Filiol, the Managing Director of Eurosport Events, said: “The organisers of Rali Vinho Madeira have informed us recently that they would no longer be able to honour the terms of their contract with Eurosport Events, notably part of their funding obligations. This has created a number of logistical and operational difficulties and is not what we would have expected from an event promoter. As a result we have decided to remove the rally from our calendar for this year and 2012 when our existing agreement was due to expire.”

Filiol continued: “All teams, manufacturers, partners and suppliers were informed as soon as the situation had become clear in an effort to prevent any unnecessary expenditure. They understand and support our decision.”

Rali Vinho Madeira was due to form round seven of the 2011 IRC season. It will not be replaced on the calendar, which will now consist of 11 rounds. Drivers and manufacturers will continue to count their best seven scores only.

The next IRC event is Sata Rallye Açores from 14-16 July. The gravel rally is one of the highlights of the season with its spectacular stages through stunning countryside. All seven IRC manufacturers are set to be represented on the island event where a thrilling battle for victory is in store.