The Rally de Portugal is a
rally competition held in Portugal. First held in 1967, the seventh running of
the race, the 7º TAP Rallye de Portugal was the third event in the inaugural
FIA World Rally Championship in 1973. The
2020 Rally de Portugal (also known as the Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2020) was
a motor racing event for rally cars that was scheduled to be held over four days
between 21 and 24 May 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 event was scheduled to be based in Matosinhos
in Porto and consisted of twenty-two special stages covering a total
competitive distance of 331.10 km (205.74 mi).
Ott Tänak and Martin
Järveoja were the defending rally winners. Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT, the team
they drove for in 2019, were the defending manufacturers' winners. Kalle
Rovanperä and Jonne Halttunen were the defending winners in the World Rally
Championship-2 category, but they would not defend their titles as they were
promoted to the higher class.
The death of a Spanish rally co-driver in a
horrific crash when her car veered off
the road and smashed into another vehicle before slamming into a pine tree, is
in news. Valencian Laura Salvo, 21, was competing in the first stage of the
Rally Vidreiro in Portugal when her car allegedly careered off the road and
slammed into the tree on the right-hand side of the road. The car was driven by
Miguel Socias and medics rushed to the scene within two minutes. Despite the
quick response, attempts to resuscitate her failed and she died on the
roadside.
The car was completely
crushed in the impact of the high-speed collision. Salvo was pulled from the
wreckage but could not be saved when medics attempted to resuscitate her. The commander of the Marinha Grande Volunteer
Firefighters, Vítor Graça, told Mundo Deportive the car 'collapsed about
500/600 meters from the beginning of the first section, when it hit a pine
tree'. Salvo, who has been a co-driver
since 2015, was trapped inside and, once released, suffered from cardiac arrest.
Attempts to resuscitate her were initially successful and the victim was
transported, already stabilized and intubated, to a landing zone about 980 feet
away from the crash site. Medics rushed to the scene within two minutes, yet
she could not be saved.
Salvo's final Instagram
post showed her with her rally partner on Friday. The pair had their thumbs up
as they competed ! A helicopter was waiting at 11am but Salvo died just 15
minutes later - before she could be brought to a hospital. The president of the Marina Grande
Automobile Club said: 'Unfortunately we
have to report a death in our rally. Competitor Laura Salvo, who was competing
as a navigator in the Peugeot Rally Cup Iberica, suffered an accident at the
beginning of the first stage that caused her death. 'The Automobile Club of the Marina Grande and
its means of aid arrived at the place in about two minutes, doing everything
possible to save the young competitor, trying to revive her. Salvo was trapped inside the car and once
released suffered from cardiac arrest. Attempts to resuscitate were initially
successful and the victim was transported, already stabilized and intubated, to
a landing zone, about 980 feet away from the crash site
She competed alongside
Socias last season in the Suzuki Swift Cup and started 2020 by winning the
Rally del Bierzo. The media took the
victim to an area where the arrival of a medical emergency helicopter was
possible, but the competitor ended up dying at the scene. Maria Salvo, her
sister, is also a well-known rally co-driver and their father Gabriel was a
rally driver. Social media users shared their tributes after news of Salvo's
death first broke. Peugeot Sport wrote:
'Peugeot Sport wishes to express their sincerest condolences to the family and
friends of co-driver Laura Salvo, who died this morning following an accident
at Rally Vidreio Centro in Portugal.' One
heartbroken fan added: 'The rally world have a new angel in heaven.'
Royal Spanish Automobile
Federation also shared a message of condolences on their social networks,
saying: 'Mourning in Spanish motor racing for the death of co-driver Laura
Salvo, who lost her life in Portugal while contesting a rally. Our condolences
to all her family and loved ones. Rest in Peace, dear Laura.' The Portuguese
rally has been abandoned following her death. The car was bring driven by
Miguel Socias but it swerved off the road and crashed into a pine tree, reports
say – however web searches do no reveal his well-being. In such a horrific crash, what happened to
the driver has not been explained !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
11.10.2020.
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