Magalhães: team´s graduation is helping IRC bid

Bruno Magalhães has said the opportunity to graduate to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge on a full-time basis this season has been made extra special because his Peugeot Sport Portugal team has been able to make the switch with him.

The 29-year-old will contest the opening eight events of the IRC season with the same team he drove for when he won the Portuguese championship title for three years in succession from 2007-2009.

“Me and the team both needed a new challenge after winning the Portuguese title three times,” said Magalhães, who finished seventh on last week’s season-opening Monte Carlo Rally. “It’s a dream to be doing the IRC, but it’s also special that I am still with my old team. Normally Portuguese teams don’t get this opportunity and the driver goes to another team from another country but this team is 100 per cent Portuguese and it’s a fantastic situation.”

Magalhães, who comes from Lisbon, won’t chase a fourth domestic crown this season in order to concentrate on his IRC programme in his Peugeot 207 S2000.