Scorching heat, clouds of dust, rough tracks. The revamped ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo proved its extraordinary durability and speed in its first World Rally Championship outing. Watch the story of its first big journey – from the gates of the ŠKODA Motorsport factory in Mladá Boleslav to the podium of Rally de Portugal by the Atlantic coast.
Even the most thorough testing can’t reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a rally car as much as a real rally. Rally de Portugal provided a really exhaustive stress test. The first international start for the modernized ŠKODA FABIA R5 evo rally car was a big event in the world of motorsport. Two brand new cars, which had previously only completed short test runs on ŠKODA Motorsport’s proving grounds, were driven by 2018 WRC 2 champion Jan Kopecký and current leader in WRC 2 Pro overall standings, Kalle Rovanperä.
Kopecký’s victory at Rallye Český Krumlov (part of Czech Rally Championship) had hinted at the potential of the improved car. The tough but beautiful Rally de Portugal showed its qualities to their full extent.
