Meet José Rodrigues: Driven to Win
Get to know Portuguese racing driver José Rodrigues, learn more about his journey through motorsport and his goal of retaining his national title!
Following the announcement of José Rodrigues joining Team Universal as our latest athlete partner, we wanted to find out more about his career behind the wheel, his experience across some of Europe’s leading touring car championships and his current challenge in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship.
José’s story brings together two worlds that have always been closely connected, tyres and motorsport. Alongside running Rodrigues Tyres in Portugal, José has built a successful racing career and is now competing at the front of the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship. With the 2025 GT title already under his belt, he’s back in 2026 with his sights set on another championship.
José’s Racing Journey:
José’s racing career began in the Abarth Trophy before he moved into touring car racing, competing in TCR Portugal, TCR Germany and TCR Italy.
He has also competed in the FIA European Touring Car Cup and the FIA World Touring Car Cup, including the WTCR event at Vila Real in 2018, one of Portugal’s biggest motorsport events!
More recently, José has focused on Porsche GT racing and the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, where he has continued to build on his experience and success.
His recent results include:
2024: Portuguese Hill Climb Championship Vice-Champion – GT Category
2025: Portuguese Hill Climb Champion – GT Category
2026: Currently leading the GT standings, driving a Porsche 992 GT3 Cup with RACAR Motorsport
After winning the GT title in 2025, José is now aiming to go one better again this season and secure a second consecutive national championship!
Life Away From The Track:
Away from racing, José runs Rodrigues Tyres in Portugal, working closely with the Universal team as one of our valued partners.
Rodrigues Tyres is part of the Rodrigues & Filhos Group, which dates back to 1955 when it began as Rodrigues & Irmão, initially focused on the tyre sector. Over the years, the group has grown and diversified into a number of areas, including fuels, gas, lubricants, distribution, tyre retail and retreading, as well as professional fleet management.
Today, Rodrigues Tyres is focused on tyre distribution across Portugal. Based in Braga, the business continues to build on the experience, values and family legacy that have shaped the group for more than seven decades.
Balancing a tyre business with a racing career keeps José busy, but there is a clear connection between the two. His experience in the tyre industry, combined with his time behind the wheel, gives him a strong understanding of the importance of performance and reliability.
The relationship between Rodrigues Tyres and Universal has grown over the past few years, making the opportunity to bring that partnership into José’s racing career a natural next step.
Speaking about joining Team Universal, José said:
“It’s great to have Universal behind me this season. We’ve built a really good relationship through Rodrigues Tyres, so it’s exciting to now bring that partnership into my racing as well.
I’m focused on defending the championship this year, but I’d also like to see where we can take the racing together. Whether that’s continuing with hill climbs or looking at some circuit racing in the future, there are some really exciting possibilities.”
Universal Tyres CEO, Nathan Gould-Martin, added:
“José has been a valued Universal partner through Rodrigues Tyres for some time, so we’ve seen first-hand the passion and commitment he brings to the business. When we learned more about his racing career and what he’s achieved in motorsport, it made perfect sense to bring that relationship into Team Universal.
He’s already had a great deal of success in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, and we’re looking forward to supporting him as he pushes for another title this season.”
José currently leads the GT standings in the Portuguese Hill Climb Championship, with his sights firmly set on retaining his national title.
His next scheduled race is the Arrábida Hill Climb in Setúbal on 3-4 October, where he’ll be looking to continue his championship campaign behind the wheel of his Porsche 992 GT3 Cup.
We’re delighted to have José representing Team Universal and look forward to following his progress throughout the rest of the 2026/27 season!
Follow José on Instagram to keep up to date with his racing and latest results.
