The fourth event of the TOYOTA GZOO Racing Iberian Cup (TGRIC), the Lisbon Rallye (7 and 8 June), which on this occasion will pay tribute to Joaquim Santos, one of the best drivers in the history of Portuguese motorsport, who recently passed away. This will be the second consecutive visit to Lisbon for the cup organized by Toyota Caetano Auto, Toyota Spain and MSI. A race in which Bruno Bulacia (CSM Automoció) starts as leader, with a seven-point lead over Javi Villa (Asturhíbrido). Both drivers are the only ones who have managed to add victories to their record. Now that the Lisbon Rallye is halfway through the season, these two drivers are candidates for the final victory.

In turn, the Lisbon Rallye will be the second time that the TGRIC drivers will compete on tarmac stages. A total of nine teams are registered, so it is expected to be a very tight rally in the fight for the top places. These tarmac stages are far from the comfort zone of Bruno Bulacia (CSM Automoció), unlike on gravel, although they are nevertheless quite favorable for Javi Villa (Asturhíbrido). The Asturian driver, fourth in Lisbon in 2023, will seek to repeat the success achieved last April in the Rallye Sierra Morena and thus close the gap with the leader.

Even so, both drivers will have to take into account Josep Bassas (IPPON Motor Vallé), who showed a high performance both on the tarmac of Cordoba and in Aboboreira, although he had to retire on both occasions.

Competing at home, the Portuguese drivers are also aiming to improve their positions in the classification. Miguel Campos (Macedo & Macedo GTW Racing) and Pedro Lago (Caetano Auto), currently third and fourth in the championship. Campos has been second twice, while Lago has twice climbed to the third step of the podium. They are currently separated by five points in the championship. Also unlucky so far, even after dominating among the Toyota GR Yaris RZ Cup cars in the opening stage of the Serras de Fafe Rally, is the Ricardo Costa/Rui Vilaça (Macedo & Macedo GTW Racing) pair, who will be absent for this event. Newcomer Manuel Martins, who is increasingly adapted to the Toyota GR Yaris RZ Cup, has shown a remarkable evolution, despite not having finished two of the three races participated in.

José Lamela (Breogán Group), currently in fifth position, is fighting to stay at the top of the classification, while José Mulero (Labasa), is looking to get into these positions, after his two retirements this season. Like the already mentioned Ricardo Costa, Carlos Rodríguez (Breogán Group), is another driver who has been less fortunate, with three retirements, and who has not registered for this race either. On the other hand, Iván Raña and Gloria Alonso (Breogán Group), who will be competing in their first race in the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Iberian Cup and their second rally at the controls of the Toyota GR Yaris RZ Cup, have also joined the list of registered drivers.

The Rallye Lisboa - Joaquim Santos Memorial, will be held in the municipalities near the Portuguese capital, in a race that begins on Friday afternoon, with the starting ceremony held at the iconic Monument to the Discoveries, in Belém. The participants will then compete in the first five special stages (46.64 km), before heading to the service park, located in Alta de Lisboa. On Saturday, eight more stages (55.69 km) will be run, including the special stage of Cascáis Marina, which will be the first of its kind. The rally will finish at 18:10 (local time), next to the Monument to the Discoveries.