Meeke finished third in the final race of the Portugal rally series on Saturday, confirming his victory in the championship with 167 points, ahead of Portuguese veteran Armindo Araújo, who won the season finale, the Vidreiro rally. Although Meeke secured five wins during the season, he cannot be crowned the champion in Portugal.
The final rally became challenging for Meeke as the organizers of the Vidreiro rally threw obstacles in his path. Initially, the jury decided to disqualify Meeke for not stopping correctly at a new tire check station. This disqualification was later changed to a three-minute time penalty, but after Meeke’s team filed a complaint, the penalty was adjusted to one minute and 15 seconds.
“They did everything they could against me this weekend. I don’t really want to talk about it, but it was very unfair to me. I also made a mistake this morning because our situation yesterday was tough,” Meeke explained on the Portuguese version of Autosport’s website.
“In the end, we managed to sort things out and created enough of a gap on the final stage. This is a great thing for me at this stage of my career. A big thank you also to Hyundai’s team in Portugal. This is really for them.”
Meeke had only good things to say about the rally culture in Portugal, but he found no sympathy for the Vidreiro rally organizers.
“I definitely want to drive more in this country, especially if I could secure the championship before this final rally. The organizers of this race need to understand that this is a sport that should be fair. Nobody is trying to cheat in this group.”
“The Portugal rally series is definitely one of the best in Europe. The gravel rallies are especially fantastic. Where else can you compete in events where nearly all the stages are familiar from the World Championship? The stages in the Madeira asphalt rally are also incredible,” Meeke praised.
Thus, Meeke will not officially become the champion of Portugal. This year, the championship will remain undivided in the series. The unusual situation stems from Portuguese legislation. The issue arose last year when Craig Breen competed in the Portugal rally series. The Portuguese Automobile and Karting Federation (FPAK) looked into the matter, revealing that foreign athletes cannot win the national championship in individual sports like motor racing.
The investigation also indicated that the current ruling is unconstitutional, as it contradicts European Union agreements regarding sports and the free movement of people. However, changing the law is slow, as it must be addressed in the country’s parliament and constitutional court.
