It will be five days of full throttle, with the added excitement that the Portuguese round could prove decisive in the fight for the drivers’ title.
The best cross-country drivers and teams in the world will be in our country from September 22 to 28 to compete in the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, the fourth round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). It will be five days of full throttle, with the added excitement that the Portuguese round could prove decisive in the fight for the drivers’ title.
As in the previous year, the event organized by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP) is the only one held in Europe and will feature the top car and bike competitors from Dakar 2025, ensuring plenty of spectacle on the dirt tracks of Alentejo, Ribatejo, and the Spanish region of Extremadura.
The big novelty this year is the addition of a third bivouac, in Lisbon. Along with Grândola and Badajoz, the Doca de Pedrouços in Belém will serve as the operational base for the final two days of competition.
The route includes:
- Prologue in Grândola (5 km)
- Stage 1: Grândola – Grândola (300 km)
- Stage 2: Grândola – Badajoz (430 km)
- Stage 3: Badajoz – Badajoz (300 km)
- Stage 4: Badajoz – Lisbon (260 km)
- Stage 5: Lisbon – Lisbon (110 km)
The championship consists of five rounds across three continents and comes to Portugal wide open. The three rounds held so far have all had different winners.
Five drivers still in contention
Currently, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) leads with a 20-point advantage over Henk Lategan (Toyota) and 25 over Lucas Moraes (Toyota). It seems likely that the world champion will come from this trio, although Seth Quintero (Toyota) and Dakar 2025 winner Yazeed Al-Rajhi (Toyota) are still in the running.
A possible slip from the Toyota drivers could practically hand the title to the Dacia driver. On the other hand, a win for the Japanese manufacturer’s men would push the battle to the final round in Morocco (October 10–17). João Ferreira (Toyota) is the best-placed Portuguese driver, sitting 9th with 40 points, tied with nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb.
Toyota ahead in the manufacturers’ standings
In the constructors’ championship, Toyota Gazoo Racing leads with 311 points, followed by Dacia with 219 and Ford M-Sport with 190. The Japanese brand looks well on course to secure the title, although Dacia is putting in a highly competitive debut season in cross-country rallying.