[3] The 2021 event was based in Matosinhos in the Porto District and was contested over twenty special stages totalling 337.51 km (209.72 mi) in competitive distance.

[6] In the WRC-3 category, Pierre-Louis Loubet and Vincent Landais were the reigning rally winners,[5][b] but they did not defend their titles neither as they were promoted to the top class by Hyundai 2C Competition.

[11] Reigning World Champions Sébastien Ogier and Julien Ingrassia entered the round with an eight-point lead over Thierry Neuville and Martijn Wydaeghe.

Driver Nicolas Ciamin and co-driver Benoît Fulcrand set in second, followed by the crew of Teemu Asunmaa and Marko Salminen.

In the junior championship, Jon Armstrong and Phil Hall led Mārtiņš Sesks and Renars Francis by nine points.