The event has been run since 1957 and, following its merger with Rally Costa Brava, a European Championship classic, in 1988, it’s been on the WRC calendar every year since 1991, with the exception of 1994 when it counted only towards the Formula 2 Championship for two-wheel-drive machines.
The rally was based in Lloret de Mar until 2002 when it moved to the Costa Daurada town of Salou. It attracts hordes of enthusiastic fans, who line the switchback Tarragona roads for a close-up glimpse of their heroes. As has been de rigueur since 2010, crews tackle the opening leg on gravel and the second and third on asphalt, making it the WRC’s only mixed-surface event.
As we get ready for the next installment of WRC 2017 after a six-week break, and the run-in for the Drivers’ title between Ford pair Sébastien Ogier and Ott Tanak, Hyundai number one Thierry Neuville and Toyota’s Jari-Matti Latvala, we’ve chosen five events from the past 25 years in Catalunya that have stood out, whether it’s for unexpected wins, intra-team squabbles, last-stage crashes or spectator-pleasing diversions.