A three-way battle will decide the overall champion in the race for FIA European Historic Rally Championship honours this weekend in Portugal. Competitors head west to the Historic Fafe Rally (7–8 November), the final round of the series supported by Flexifly Aircraft Hire.

Hot favourite to take the overall title is Finnish ace Jari-Matti Latvala. Unquestionably the fastest driver in EHRC this season, the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Team Principal will bring his Toyota Celica GT-Four to Portugal for one final push as he looks to secure the championship. An outright win for the former WRC star would see him take the title back to his native Finland. With regular co-driver Janni Hussi in Japan on WRC commitments, Latvala brings experienced Finnish co-driver Topi Luhtinen for his first taste of EHRC action in 2025.

Chasing Latvala will be the Polish crew of Maciej Lubiak and Grzegorz Dachowski. Lubiak has been in strong form all season in his Category 2 Porsche 911. After his debut campaign in 2024, he has established himself as a consistent podium contender in 2025. With the FIA Category 2 title already close to secured, the Kumiega Racing driver has one final opportunity to see whether he can add the overall championship to his tally.

The third driver still in contention for the overall title is Britain’s Will Graham. Graham has enjoyed a solid campaign in his BMW M3 E30 with regular podium finishes and a measured approach. That consistency has produced a significant points haul, and he will look to capitalise in Portugal if his rivals slip up.

Italian crew Valter Pierangioli and Michela Baldini make a welcome return in their Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth after recovering from mechanical issues in Elba. Basque driver Richard Genescà, co-driven by Florent Sompayrac, began the season in a Subaru Legacy RS before switching to a later evolution of the same model. Genescà has the pace to deliver strong stage times and will aim to challenge Latvala, Graham and Pierangioli in FIA Category 4. Graham remains the favourite to lift Category 4 honours with a solid points buffer going into the final round.

In Category 2, Lubiak will be challenged by two long-standing contenders. Frenchman Bertrand Metivier has delivered an impressive maiden season in his Ford Escort RS1600 with Fabrice Garin, while Northern Ireland’s Ernie Graham brings extensive EHRC experience. Their recent battles have been closely fought, and another tight contest is expected in Portugal. France’s Hervé Guignard, who surprised the field with a fastest stage time on Rallye Antibes earlier this year, will also look to repeat that performance in his Alpine A310 alongside Jean-Jacques Collinet.

Newly crowned Category 3 champions Jesús Ferreiro Pérez and Javier Anido travel from Galicia seeking a sixth win from as many starts in their Ford Escort RS1800. Germany’s Siegfried and Renate Mayr will aim to consolidate second place in their Volvo 240, while Greg McCormack, Fintan McGrady, Dean Beckett and Rhodri Evans close out their seasons in identical Escort RS1800s. Eric Guignard, brother of Hervé, also returns in his Renault 5 Turbo with Didier Meffre, targeting a late-season podium.

Category 1 remains an all-Italian contest. Antonio Parisi and Giuseppe D’Angelo lead in their Porsche 911S, while Carlo Fiorito and Nicolò Ventoso look set to secure second place with another strong finish in their BMW 2002Ti.

Finally, Portuguese rally legend Rui Madeira brings his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III to the field in the Pre-2000 class. Madeira is a hugely popular figure at home and will no doubt draw considerable local support. After enjoying Rally Costa Brava at the beginning of the season, he returns for a final EHRC appearance to close out the year.