A total of 62 teams are entered in the Car category, along with 52 riders in the bikes. It’s a star-studded entry list featuring almost all the big names who competed in the 2025 Dakar, highlighting the international excitement generated by the ACP’s event. The bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal will bring together the world’s best drivers at the wheel of off-road prototypes with around 360 hp. Given the depth and quality of the field, an exciting race is expected, with plenty of contenders for victory.
The Ultimate category will be fiercely contested, given the sheer number and quality of cars and drivers entered. Leading the way will be three-time Rally Raid World Champion and five-time Dakar winner, Nasser Al-Attiyah. The Dacia driver will face strong opposition, starting within his own team, with nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and Spain’s Cristina Gutiérrez, whose experience should not be underestimated. There is huge anticipation for the debut of the Dacia Sandrider on Portuguese soil.
Toyota Gazoo Racing lines up with an equally strong squad, featuring South African Henk Lategan, Brazilian Lucas Moraes and American Seth Quintero, all at the wheel of the Hilux T1+ Evo — still one of the most competitive cars in the cross-country world championship. Portugal’s João Ferreira, reigning winner of the 2024 Baja World Cup, will also drive a Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo and is considered a strong contender for victory. Toyota is further represented by Overdrive Racing, fielding 2025 Dakar winner Yazeed Al Rajhi from Saudi Arabia, Argentina’s Juan Cruz Yacopini and Chile’s Hermán Garcés.
Ford is another team to watch, bringing its Raptor T1+ to Spanish rally legend Carlos Sainz and veteran Greek driver Jourdan Serderidis, a regular competitor in rallies. X-raid, a familiar presence in Portuguese events, will run three Mini JCW 3.0i cars for Denis Krotov, Lionel Baud and Adroaldo Weisheimer.
Also noteworthy is the participation of Century Racing with the CR7, to be driven by Van den Brink. Other names likely to battle for the top spots include brothers Marcos and Christian Baumgart, both in Toyota Hilux T1 Evos. Among the Portuguese in the Ultimate category, attention goes to Francisco Barreto (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) and José Rogeira (Ford Raptor T1+).
The Challenger category brings together the top ‘side-by-side’ prototype drivers, adding yet more excitement to the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal. Key names include Nicolás Cavigliasso (Taurus T3 Max), Pau Navarro (Taurus T3 Max) and Dania Akeel (Taurus T3 Max), all fighting for the world title. There will also be appearances from Mattias Ekström (Can-Am XRS), a familiar name from rallycross, and Guillaume de Mévius (G-Ecko Challenger), along with Portuguese contenders Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max) — who claimed an impressive second place in this year’s Dakar — Miguel Barbosa (Taurus T3 Max) and Hélder Oliveira (Can-Am Maverick), among others.
The SSV category could bring great news for Portugal, as a favorable combination of results could crown Alexandre Pinto (Polaris RZR) as world champion. His main opposition will be Enrico Gaspari (Can-Am Maverick). Portuguese drivers know the terrain well and could also shine, including João Dias (Polaris RZR), current national T3 champion, as well as Mário Ferreira (Polaris RZR) and Luís Portela (Polaris RZR).
On two wheels, a fierce battle is expected between the official riders from KTM, Honda, Hero and Sherco, all bringing the very best of rally-raid motorcycling to Portugal. Top contenders include Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally), current World Championship leader and winner of the 2025 Dakar, Ross Branch (Hero 450 Rally), 2024 World Champion, Luciano Benavides (KTM 450 Rally), current second in the standings, Ricky Brabec (Honda CRF 450), double Dakar winner (2020 and 2024), Adrien Van Beveren (Honda CRF 450), Bradley Cox (Sherco 450 Rally) and Jose Ignacio Cornejo (Hero 450 Rally).
Also noteworthy is the participation of Portugal’s Pedro Bianchi Prata with the Moove Stark, a 100% electric bike.