Never before have so many participants as at the Rallye Mallorca 2023 crossed the start ramp in Puerto Portals as this year. More than 100 rally cars started in the competition, and with various support and show cars, 120 sports cars raced over the now world-famous special stages from Calvia to Pollenca. For the first time, the split between Competition and Regularity was 50/50, as word had spread that the Competition was the benchmark of excellence for this demanding international rally in the spring. Glorious weather was appreciated by the participants who had traveled from afar, primarily from the UK and Germany.
Restart after Corona – the Mallorca Rally 2023
Following the prologue on Thursday night, the full extent of the tragedy surrounding this long-awaited return to the island (post-COVID) became clear on the very first day. Special stages—both night and day—could not be run due to the storm that had swept across the island a week earlier. Snow in the Tramuntana Mountains, mudslides, and fallen power poles had been provisionally cleared; however, potential scouring or further rockfalls could not be ruled out. This led to a significant shortening of the 2023 Rally Mallorca, for which the final official permits to start (in their entirety) only trickled in to race control half an hour before the Thursday evening prologue. Here, the saying for southern countries unfortunately came into nerve-wracking practical use: if you don’t come today, come tomorrow—or, as they say: what you can get done today, put off until tomorrow. The potential negative consequences ultimately did not materialize (cancellation of the entire rally). A sword of Damocles hung over everything here, which would have been tantamount to an end forever. The organizer ultimately offered a sincere apology to all participants, fully aware that such a situation must never happen again. So much for the preamble. The prologue that night alone brought total disaster for one of the dark horses. Dominik an der Heiden lost control of his Porsche 2.8 RSR due to a brake failure, couldn’t master the 60-degree steep slope, and „parked“ his car 10 meters down the hill, upright against a tree. Thankfully, the driver and co-driver were rescued without serious injuries. The car was completely mangled and required at least a chassis replacement. Meanwhile, at the top of the Competition Class, a fierce battle raged between Seb Perez in a Porsche 911, Kris Rosenberger, also in a Porsche, and the surprisingly fast Bruno Staub in a Ferrari 308 Gr. 4. Once again, the local heroes Galiana / Flores could barely keep up; in their fundamentally very fast Ford Escort Mk II, they didn’t stand a chance against the Porsche armada. Unfortunately, this also included the co-favorites and previous year’s winners Florian Feustel / Katrin Becker, who experienced technical issues with their IROC Porsche RSR. If there was one stroke of luck amidst all the misfortune, it was the fact that the organizer was able to use the only Mallorcan racetrack, the „Circuito Lluc Major,“ due to canceled special stages. Here, thanks to occasional skirmishes in both the Competition class and the Youngtimer and Regularity classes, a genuine racing atmosphere emerged. Although for the 120 rally participants it was merely a track day, as no official permission had been granted for actual timing (as in a circuit race or special stages). Too bad. Also because, in this „ad hoc“ situation, no spectators were allowed. (No ticketing/access control system.) But one thing the detour to the racetrack clearly demonstrated is that there is potential here to make the Rally Mallorca even more attractive and to engage thousands of spectators over one or two days—something that is not possible on the winding special stages on the island.Nevertheless, the Mallorcan rally adventure came to a satisfying conclusion for most participants. The fantastic closing gala evening and the prize-giving ceremony reinforced the prospect that next year’s 20th anniversary could become a truly major international rally event. Given the event’s popularity and tradition, all participants are very excited.
The detailed results:
Competition class
1. Seb Perez / Gary McElhinney | Porsche 911 | 55 min 27.3 sec
2. Kris Rosenberger / Sigi Schwarz Porsche 911 | 56 min 03.5 sec
3. Bruno Staub / Simon Staub Ferrari 308 | 58 min 05.1 sec
Youngtimer
1. David Garcia / Rudy Hensen Renault Clio | 56 minutes 24.6 seconds
2. Frank Hoffmann / Daniela Raab BMW E30 | 1 min 28.8 sec
3. B. Hartmann / Stefanie Hartmann Lancia Int. | 1 min 59.7 sec
Regular Fast Av.
1. Guillermo Bauza / David Godoy | BMW 325 | 65.7 points
2. Volker Scheck / Yves Chantraine Lancia International | 86.8 points
3. Mr. Bartholemy / Fabian Mohr Porsche 911ST | 94.6 points
Regularity Slow Avenue.
1. Felix Jacobs / Natalie Gillessen | Porsche 912 | 137.7 points
2. Axel Prym / Andrea Prym Porsche 912 | 236.6 points
3. Paul Kellen / Steve Heirens AH 3000 | 355.8 points
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The author of the report had a particular experience during the rally when, during the first nighttime special stage deep in the pitch-black forest, the entire „Christmas tree light bar“ on his 2.8 RSR failed at approximately 100 km/h, and the landscape suddenly went dark. Not helpful was the subsequent comment from his co-driver: „Gas! Give it gas!“
Photos: Rally Isla Mallorca