Sousa intent on Portugal finish

Bernardo Sousa says a finish on Vodafone Rally de Portugal next week would feel like a victory.

The Portuguese star will make his competition debut in a World Rally Car on the Faro-based event but is restricting his ambitions to completing the event’s 17 special stages and the competitive distance of 385 kilometres.

Sousa, who will drive a Ford Fiesta RS WRC, is contesting the Super 2000 World Rally Championship this season but is using his home rally to sample a new-generation World Rally Car for the first time as he considers his options for his next career move.

“The most important thing will be to finish - that would be like a win for me,” said the 28-year-old from Madeira. “If I complete the rally then I will get good experience and that will be very important for the future as I start to think about next year.”

Sousa is one of his country’s brightest rallying talents having impressed in the SWRC in 2010 and in the Production Car World Rally Championship prior to that. In addition to his SWRC programme last term, he also contested the Portuguese championship and won the title for the first time.

“It’s really exciting to be doing my home event in a World Rally Car,” he continued. “There will be a lot of Portuguese fans on the road and it will be great for them to cheer a Portuguese driver in a new-specification World Rally Car. Of course everyone is putting pressure on me because of this. I understand that but I’m just concentrating on finishing the rally.”

Sousa, who is linking up with new co-driver Antonio Costa for this season, is due to drive his M-Sport-run car for the first time during a test in the Algarve next Monday. He added: “I’m quite anxious because I have not driven the car yet but also very excited. Hopefully the car will be similar to the Super 2000 Fiesta that I drive but with more power. We will do as many kilometres as possible.”