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Bernardo Sousa, 23 years of age, was the youngest portuguese rally driver ever to compete at WRC. He began his sports career kart driving in 1999 beating the fastest pilots in every championship he raced. This great results allow the young Madeira Island born driver to jump into a new world of motorsport competition, and in 2005 he began his rally driver career when he first took a Madeira Championship Rally, Faial Bingo. Disciplined, he engaged a fast adaption to this new driving style that allow him to live his dream of a rally career. |
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In 2006 and 2007 he competed the Portuguese Rally Championship and the Madeira Rally Championship. But it wasn’t until 2008 that he raced internationaly at P-WRC (Production Championship). During that learning period, in which everything was new, routes, longer competition sections, and the pressur of being the youngst driver to compet at such a hard Championship. The begginer acomplished a surprising top ten finish. In 2009 he returned to P-WRC, however, despite his natural claw, his Abarth Fiat S2000 less competitive and reliable, betrayed the young driver. |
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But still, he fought for victory on the rallies he raced. Several technical order problems stopped him to reach further then a 10 final position, among the 26 P-WRC 2009 pilots. But 2010 was a year for a national wining statement and gaining more international experience. As a Ford pilot, supported by M-sport technical team, driving a new Ford Fiesta S2000, Bernardo manage to arrange his Schedule in order to participate in the 14 rallies of the two championships.
Wining the three first portugusese Championship rallies was enough to assure his Portuguese Champion title, at WRC he manage to gain some experience from a international scope. With the Portuguese Champion title already achieved, the team objectives in 2011 are all focused in the SWRC, for that purpose Bernardo’s season start at the Portugal Rally is already being prepared. Bernardo will drive a Ford Fiesta WRC, promissing to surprise his fans and followers with a spectacular motorshow, the rest of the Championship rallies choosed, will be raced in his Ford Fiesta S2000 |
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| Heroes: | Ayrton Senna, Colin Mcrae |
| Most useful gadget: | iPad, where ever I go, it goes with me |
| Surname: | Sousa |
| Name: | Bernardo |
| Date of birth: | May 16th, 1987 |
| Place of birth: | Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal |
| Place of residence: | Lisboa, Portugal |
| Height: | 1m74 |
| Stranded on a desert island, | |
| with who? | My wife |
| Dream holiday: | Bora bora |
| Favorite travel destination: | Ilha do Porto Santo |
| Favorite food: | Pasta |
| Favorite drink: | Wine |
| Who would you enjoy talk to?: | Lewis Hamilton |
| Best feature: | Fast learner |
| Superstitions: | Nothing special |
| Situation that most scared you? | An accident in karting european Championship. |
| I thought that i was going to remain | |
| in a wheelchair |
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Paulo Babo returns after a brief two years stop. Babo is a experienced co-driver that has already co-drived Bernardo Sousa in the past. His record registers 46 participations in the Portuguese National Rally Championship with a briliant premier in the early 90's.
1990 - 1991 - Rally premier as Rui Moreiras co-pilot racing the Portuguese National Championship with a Turbo Lancia. Paired with Álvaro Vieira driving a Cosworth Ford Fiesta and with Marco Queirós a Turbo HF Lancia. 1993 - 1994 – All Terrain Rally premier co-driving Vitor Mendes with a Opel Campo and joined António Madureira racing the Portuguese National Championship beginners category. With José Mendes he races the All Terrain Portuguese National Championship driving an Opel Campo. 1995 - 1996 - Pairs with Manuel Russo at All Terrain Portuguese National Championship driving a Nissan Pick Up in Porta da Ravessa Team. |
| Co-drives Filipe Pinto driving a Renault Clio in the Portuguese National Championship beginners production category conquer. Participated in the All Land Portuguese National Championship achieving Montes de Fafe All Land Rally victory. A runner up position at All Land Rally Montes Alentejanos and a 6th position place at Seat Ibiza trophy
1997 - 1998 – At Portuguese Rally National Championship beginner’s category co-drives Filipe Pinto, achieving Absolut title in Portuguese Rally Championship beginner’s category. Races the production category at Portuguese National Championship and at All Land National Championship, driving a Opel Corsa. Pairs with Filipe Pinto racing three rallies of the National Championship. 2004 - 2005 – Returns as Mex Machado dos Santos co-driver, finishing as runner up in the Peugeot 206 Trophy. With Mex Machado dos Santos he accomplishes the Peugeot Trophy. |
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2006 - 2007 – Pairs with Bernardo Sousa Racing the Portuguese National Championship, driving a diesel Skoda Fabia and over asphalt a Mitsubishi EVO VII. Once again with Bernardo Sousa at Portuguese National Championship driving the EVO he wines Porto Santo Rally overall and leads the Portuguese pilots in Vinho Madeira Rally. 2008 – Pairs with Miguel Campos at Portugal Rally, in the Peugeot official team, “BF Goodrich Drivers Team” and with Mex Machado dos Santos driving a 997 Porsche at Portuguese National Championship. 2010 – Overall victory at Portugal Center rally with José Pedro Fontes driving a 997 Porsche and with Bernardo Sousa at Casinos do Algarve Rally driving a Ford Fiesta S2000. |
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The Fiesta S2000, M-Sport and Ford's first global rally car, which will be eligible to compete in national rally championships around the world as well as the IRC and S2000 World Cup, is due for homologation in January 2010. |
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Continuing their close relationship with Ford, the team at M-Sport has worked in tandem with Ford's Motorsport Technical Manager Mike Norton and the Ford small car design team that developed the acclaimed kinetic design of the Fiesta road car, to develop a dynamic and aggressive looking rally car. The experience gained from developing the record-breaking Ford Focus RS WRC has been used by the M-Sport team to develop the Fiesta S2000 rally car while working within the new FIA Sporting Regulations which means that this car can be used by customers at both national and international level. |
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The Fiesta S2000 is the latest in a long line of rally cars produced as a result ofthe successful partnership between M-Sport and Ford, starting with the Escort Cosworth in the 1990s and moving on to the record breaking Ford Focus RS WRC and Ford Fiesta ST. |
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While Vodafone Rally de Portugal’s heart remains in Algarve, its home since 2007, this year’s event will include an all-new superspecial stage in the of the country’s capital, Lisbon. This will be Bernado’s rali premier at WRC 2011, in which he expects to reach a fair result to his position as Portugal Rally Champion enriching his performance with a WRC Ford Fiesta. With the exception of the new-for-2010 Santana da Serra stage and the three-lap superspecial in Lisbon, the competitive route remains largely unaltered. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Jordan will celebrate its third appearance in the World Rally Championship this year with its popular all-gravel event based in the Dead Sea Resort. The Mai’n stage returns to the itinerary having been reworked since it was last used in 2008. Emergency vehicle access has been improved and the stage is longer and more testing than the original version. This time the pilot will not take any chances and will strive to achieve competitive time results positions. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Italy returns to the World Rally Championship after a one-year gap with the Mediterranean island of Sardinia again playing host to all the action. Italy’s world championship qualifier begins with a visit to previously unchartered territory around Oristano and includes a remote service Siamanna. A ceremonial start on Olbia’s waterfront is also added to the itinerary. This will be the second time Bernardo run’s the Italian rally.(Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Searing ambient temperatures, rocky, undulating roads and dust combine to make Acropolis Rally of Greece one of the most taxing on the World Rally Championship calendar with car and driver subjected to a particularly stern test. For the first time, the Acropolis Rally of Greece will have a promoter managing its interests, headed by Greek driver Aris Vovos. Fans are also being encouraged to get involved by voting for potential inductees and selecting the rally’s new motto through the event’s official website. The Power Stage will be shown live on television. This is a special rally for Bernardo, where he has once achieved a second best position. Special memories for fans, who also expect a equal or even better result this time. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Sisu is a Finnish word that loosely translates into English as ‘having guts’. On the flat-out, tree-lined straights, endless yumps and blind crests of Neste Oil Rally Finland, drivers will need plenty of ‘sisu’ if they are to stand a chance of winning one of the World Rally Championship’s most famous events. Several changes are being planned for this year’s 61st anniversary of the rally, with more stages on Thursday afternoon, single use tests, a special stage run at night on Friday and a route spanning further afield than the Jyvaskyla and Jamsa regions, something not done since the 1990s. Already used to difficult rally conditions, Bernardo has improved his performance in this iced rally, this time striving to reach even more competitive results. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Rallye Deutschland has the honour of being the first world championship event of the 2011 season to take place on asphalt, although it’s an asphalt rally like no other with all three days of the event held on different types of sealed surfaces. This will be Bernardo’s second participation and his objective is to achieve a top position in the classification board. We can only wish Bernardo “Viel Gluck”! (Source: www.wrc.com)
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For the second year in a row, France’s World Rally Championship qualifier will take place in the country’s Alsace region to the east following its move away from Corsica, the event’s home from 1973 until 2008. This will be the second time Bernardo runs the French rally, striving to accomplish better time results, and, Voilá, reach a top position. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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Along with Neste Oil Rally Finland, the 47th RallyRACC is the only other event on the 2011 calendar to host rounds of both the Super 2000 and Production Car world championships as well as the main WRC. This is the first time of Bernardo in the rally of “nostros irmanos”, striving for a good time result and great championship closing. (Source: www.wrc.com) |
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