Hyundai driver Meeke clinched a convincing victory at Rali Serras de Fafe in February. The season’s second event, Rallye Casinos do Algarve, is set to take place in Southern Portugal on Friday and Saturday.
Meeke is pursuing the championship in Portugal, yet what’s peculiar is that, as of now, he cannot be crowned the Portuguese rally champion.
This issue came to the forefront last year when Craig Breen entered the Portuguese Rally Championship. The Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation (FPAK) subsequently delved deeper into the matter, revealing that foreign athletes cannot win the national championship in individual sports like car racing.
However, the matter didn’t end there. Further investigation indicated that the current stance violates the constitution, as it contradicts the European Union’s agreements related to sports and the free movement of individuals.
FPAK’s president, Ni Amorim, discussed with the local Sport Motores website that the issue could be escalated to parliament, but such a case would not be resolved overnight. Progress has been hampered by the Portuguese government’s dissolution last November and the recent parliamentary elections.
“We can argue that this rule is unconstitutional, but to do so, we need to send it to the Constitutional Court, and that’s something only the Assembly of the Republic can do. Therefore, we must meet with a parliamentary group, but as we know, since November, the government has been in caretaker mode, so it might not happen any time soon. Then, the Constitutional Court must decide whether the situation remains the same or changes,” Ni Amorim explained to Sport Motores.
“In other words, it’s a process that requires some time and administrative work.”
Should Meeke and Fulton end up with the most points at the season’s end without being crowned champions, the 2024 Portuguese championship title would remain unawarded.
Typically, in other European rally series, legislation does not prevent foreign drivers and co-drivers from winning championships. For instance, Estonian Karl Kruuda won the Finnish Rally Championship in 2014. Kalle Rovanperä also has a couple of championships from Latvia.
