Impressions of a special event.
Where could one drive a rally in the spring after this year of pandemic? Well, exactly as at the beginning of the corona plague: in Mallorca. Last year, the rally in early March had been caught off guard by the start of the corona epidemic. Aborted after two days. Now the organizer could have canceled or postponed the 2021 rally before the 3rd wave of corona. Far from it! With a convincing hygiene concept and Covid-19 tests for all participants and the organization team, the traditional 2021 rally season opener was celebrated. Always in early March. Officially declared as an open-air event. Officially approved and, due to the very low incidence figures in Mallorca, also completely carried out with regulated spectator traffic. When the rally community gathered again in the port of Puerto Portals on March 10, the weather made the drivers' hearts beat faster. Freshly tested before entry came the additional condition: renewed testing of all participants by the race doctor. Free of charge.
And nobody complained. True, the rally essentially started without the English and also with significantly fewer Germans, but it was held despite Corona. The rally special stages were closed to traffic, and unsuspecting tourists surely assumed the ambulances in every special stage were standing by for sudden Covid-19 cases. But in fact, in 2020 and also 2021, there was not a single case of coronavirus infection among the participants. So it works! 60 cars crossed the starting ramp at the Puerto Portals marina on Thursday evening.
The danger of the drivers in the car becoming infected despite their helmet, balaclava, and intercom was minimal. The flow of spectators in the harbor and at the special stages was also organized in a disciplined manner. The only contagious thing was the enthusiasm of the spectators and participants that Corona cannot stop everything. 500 km in 2 1/2 days with 13 special stages were, as always, breathtakingly beautiful. But also challenging, when fast sections alternated with enormously tight hairpins in the Tramuntana mountains. The „Competitionclass“ as well as the two „Regularityclasses“ ALTA and BAJA were unanimously in good spirits that no rain made the mountain roads slick. Because nobody needs offs in the sometimes tricky corners.
Starting ramp. Watch out for the edge of the harbor! 
Happy winners: Feustel-Ettel IROC Porsche
Nevertheless, a Spanish rally team in their Golf GTI couldn't resist widening the road surface after an uphill hairpin turn, right after reaching the 180-degree angle, to 240 degrees and leaving the road again toward the alignment located 10 meters lower down.
You could tell by looking at the pilots that they hadn't taken the downhill section by choice, as they had developed a healthy respect for the descent similar to that of downhill ski racers on the Streif in Kitzbühel. Okay, the landing on the lights was hard, but a relief. A HANS system – had one been present – could have deployed its full effect. As it is, one can only hope the orthopedic surgeon doesn't ask stupid questions. Otherwise, everything was in full swing and as sportively ambitious as ever. Many big names were missing. However, it was particularly painful that Stefan Oberdörster – as a multiple winner of the rally – was no longer there after his fatal motorcycle accident on the island in 2020. The rally was run in his name. R.I.P. After a close battle in the „Competition class,“ Porsche was once again in the top positions.
- Florian Feustel – Christina Ettel
Porsche IROC 3.0 - Kris Rosenberger – Sara Adolph
Porsche 911
The „Regularityclass Highspeed!“ was firmly in Spanish hands, and one can probably assume that practice makes perfect.
- Carbonell – Carbonell | Golf GTI
- Bauza – Godoy | BMW 320 i
- Campos – Baciana | Golf GTI
Sa Calobra: 20 km of curves to heaven
Even in the „Regularity Low speed!“, two Spaniards in a Jaguar E-Type were unbeatable: Castaner – Deya and Nigorra / Nigorra.
One of the most scenic rallies for „Competition“ and „Regularity“ seamlessly transitioned on Saturday evening into the closing of the outdoor terraces at 5:00 PM, the closing of the shops at 8:00 PM, and the curfew at 10:00 PM. It wasn't actually all that bad, considering that everyone was always well-rested in the morning.
Thanks go to all participants and the organization who carried out this event in a disciplined manner despite the corona restrictions.
Hats off. Everything will be better in 2022.
Lunch break with social distancing: Exemplary 
Several girls on the ejection seat