Nasser Al Attiyah was the fastest in the Prologue, but the big surprise was Gonçalo Guerreiro, who matched the three-time World Rally Raid Champion in a car from a lower category. The bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal got off to a great start for the Portuguese drivers.
People may not go to the Dakar, but the Dakar came to Portugal, and the Prologue was a huge celebration. Spectators cheered as 111 drivers (61 cars and 50 motorcycles) raced through the spectacular qualifying track, built in the centre of the town of Grândola.
The Prologue was a true five-kilometre sprint rally, with the world’s best drivers setting a high pace, but were surprised by the Portuguese, who took advantage of the track’s characteristics to prevail in cars from lower categories.
Gonçalo Guerreiro was brilliant, matching Nasser Al Attiyah’s time and finishing top in the Challenger category (Taurus Evo Max). Alexandre Pinto (Polaris RZR) finished seventh overall and stood out among the SSV drivers. He could secure the world title in the event organised by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP).
The competitive level was clearly demonstrated by the final standings, with the top two achieving the same time and the five fastest drivers separated by just three seconds, suggesting an attacking strategy on the part of all drivers.
As in the first edition of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandrider) won the Prologue with a time of 5:02.9. “It’s always nice to win the Prologue, but it wasn’t easy. We had good testing, and it’s important to get a good result in this race. I have a good position for the first stage, and strategy will be key to winning,” stated the Dacia driver. Surprisingly, Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max) achieved the same time in a Challenger-class car. Mattias Ekströn (Can-Am XRS) was third, 1 second behind, and Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) and João Ferreira (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) posted the fourth-fastest time, 3 seconds behind.
Among the official drivers, Sébastien Loeb (Dacia Sandrider) posted the eighth-fastest time, 7 seconds behind. “It was difficult because of the dust. The route was difficult to see, and I had to slow down in some areas.” Yazeed Al Rajhi, winner of the 2025 Dakar, posted the 17th-fastest time, 16 seconds behind, and Carlos Sainz posted the last-place time (61st) after stopping due to an electrical issue and losing 1 minute and 28 seconds.
In the motorcycle class, no one wanted to be left behind, and the top ten were separated by just 15 seconds. KTM dominated the Prologue with bikes from different categories. Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally) was the fastest with a time of 4:47, sending the message that he’s in Portugal to win for the fourth time this year. “I had a good prologue and didn’t make any mistakes on a fast and demanding track. I’m satisfied and will have a good starting position,” he said. The big surprise was Edgar Canet (KTM 450 Rally), who posted the second-fastest time, just 2 seconds behind, on a Rally2 category bike, beating the riders on the powerful RallyGP bikes. “I drove well, and it was fun; it felt like a motocross race. It was a good start to the rally raid,” he said.
Martim Ventura (Honda CRF 450 Rally) was the fastest Portuguese rider (19th), 22 seconds behind the fastest. “It was a difficult prologue because I started from far behind. The tracks were a bit confusing, and it was a bit of an initial shock. If anything, racing in Portugal as part of the official Honda team is a dream come true,” he said.
Prologue Classification (Cars)
1st Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandrider), 5:02.9
2nd Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max), 5:02.9 (1st Challenger and 1st Portuguese)
3rd Mattias Ekström (Can-Am XRS), 1 s
4th Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), 3 s
5th João Ferreira (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), 3 s behind
7th Alexandre Pinto (Polaris RZR), 6 s behind (1st SSV)
Prologue Classification (Motorcycles)
1st Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally), 4:47.0
2nd Edgar Canet (KTM 45th Rally), 2 seconds
3rd Michael Docherty (KTM 450 Rally), 7 seconds
4th Tosha Schareina (Honda CRF 450 Rally), 10 seconds
5th Alfredo Pellicer (KTM 450 Rally), 11 seconds
19th Martim Ventura (Honda CRF 450 Rally), 22 seconds (1st Portuguese)
Tomorrow, the first stage will be held, starting and finishing at the Gravatá Fair and Exhibition Park. Car and motorcycle drivers face a secret 425 km route, 302 km of which are timed. The start is slightly different from the previous edition. The route heads further south, towards Beja, an area that offers excellent conditions. It is an open stage, with good pavement, finishing near Grândola, with the final 30 km on sand, reminiscent of the iconic Dakar. The spectators can visit the bivouac between 6 and 10 pm.
Access link to watch the first stage of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal: https://rallyraidportugal.com/content.aspx?menuid=1342
Program
September 24 – Stage 1 Grândola-Grândola (302 km)
6:00 AM – Departure of the 1st Motorcycle from the Gravatá Fair and Exhibition Park
8:00 AM – Departure of the 1st Car from the Gravatá Fair and Exhibition Park
4:15 PM – Arrival of the 1st Motorcycle at the Grândola Fair and Exhibition Park (estimated time)
6:00 PM – Arrival of the 1st Car at the Grândola Fair and Exhibition Park (estimated time)
7:00 PM – W2RC Medal Ceremony at the Grândola Fair and Exhibition Park
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