João Barros wins opening stage of Penafiel Rally as Rafael Câmara clinches F2 pole in Barcelona

Brazilian driver João Barros, partnered with Jorge Henriques, led the inaugural night of the 8th Rali Taça Joaquim Santos at the Penafiel Racing Fest, posting the fastest time on the Penafiel City Stage 1 and gaining a 10.4‑second advantage over rivals. Their victory was followed by strong performances from other Portuguese crews, with the event drawing tens of thousands of spectators and honoring the legacy of former national champion Joaquim Santos.

In Formula 2, Brazil’s Rafael Câmara secured pole position for the Barcelona round, recording a lap of 1:24.810. His teammate Joshua Durksen finished second, while Emmo Fittipaldi qualified 18th. The session set the grid for the Feature Race, with the top ten drivers earning additional points.

Both events highlighted the continued prominence of Brazilian talent in European motorsport competitions.