Nasser Al Attiyah was the fastest in the Prologue, but the big surprise was Gonçalo Guerreiro, who clocked the exact same time as the three-time Rally-Raid World Champion with 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 turned into a huge popular festival. Spectators were thrilled to see 111 competitors (61 cars and 50 bikes) go flat-out in the show stage built right in the center of Grândola.
The Prologue was a true five-kilometer sprint rally, with the best drivers in the world setting a high pace, only to be surprised by the Portuguese, who took advantage of the course’s characteristics to shine with cars from lower categories.
Gonçalo Guerreiro was brilliant, matching Nasser Al Attiyah’s time and taking the top spot in the Challenger class (Taurus Evo Max). Alexandre Pinto (Polaris RZR) set the seventh fastest overall time and stood out among the SSVs. The Portuguese driver could clinch the world title in the event organized by the Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP).
The competitiveness was clear in the final classification, with the top two clocking the exact same time and the five fastest separated by just three seconds – a sign that all drivers will be attacking from the start.
As in the first edition of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandrider) won the Prologue with 5m02.9. “It’s always good to win the prologue, but it wasn’t easy. We did some good testing, and it’s important to get a strong result in this rally. I’ve got a good position for Stage 1, and strategy will be key to winning,” said the Dacia driver. In a surprise result, Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max) matched his time with a Challenger category car. Mattias Ekström (Can-Am XRS) was third, one second back, while Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) and João Ferreira (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo) finished fourth, three seconds off the pace.
Among the factory drivers, Sébastien Loeb (Dacia Sandrider) set the eighth fastest time, seven seconds down: “It was tough because of the dust. Visibility was poor, and I had to ease off in some areas.” Dakar 2025 winner Yazeed Al Rajhi finished 17th, 16 seconds back, while Carlos Sainz posted the last time (61st) after stopping with an electrical problem that cost him 1m28s.
In the bikes, no one wanted to be left behind, and the top ten were covered by just 15 seconds. KTM dominated the Prologue with bikes from different categories. Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally) was the fastest with 4m47, making it clear he’s in Portugal to chase his fourth win of the year. “I had a good prologue and made no mistakes on a fast, demanding course. I’m happy and have a good starting position,” he said. The big surprise was Edgar Canet (KTM 450 Rally), who set the second-fastest time, just two seconds back, on a Rally2 machine, beating several powerful RallyGP bikes. “I rode well and it was fun, it felt like motocross. A good start to the rally-raid,” he added.
Martim Ventura (Honda CRF 450 Rally) was the best Portuguese rider, finishing 19th, 22 seconds off the fastest time. “It was a tough prologue because I started far back. The tracks were a bit confusing, and it was a shock at first. Still, racing in Portugal as part of Honda’s factory team is the fulfillment of a dream,” he said.
Prologue Classification (Cars)
1st Nasser Al Attiyah (Dacia Sandrider), 5m02.9
2nd Gonçalo Guerreiro (Taurus Evo Max), 5m02.9 (1st Challenger and 1st Portuguese)
3rd Mattias Ekström (Can-Am XRS), +1s
4th Lucas Moraes (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), +3s
5th João Ferreira (Toyota Hilux T1+ Evo), +3s
7th Alexandre Pinto (Polaris RZR), +6s (1st SSV)
Prologue Classification (Bikes)
1st Daniel Sanders (KTM 450 Rally), 4m47.0
2nd Edgar Canet (KTM 450 Rally), +2s
3rd Michael Docherty (KTM 450 Rally), +7s
4th Tosha Schareina (Honda CRF 450 Rally), +10s
5th Alfredo Pellicer (KTM 450 Rally), +11s
19th Martim Ventura (Honda CRF 450 Rally), +22s (1st Portuguese)
Tomorrow, Stage 1 will take place, starting and finishing at the Parque de Feiras e Exposições in Grândola. Car and bike competitors will face a secret route of 425 km, including 302 km against the clock. The start is slightly different from last year’s edition, with the route heading further south towards Beja, an area offering excellent conditions. It’s an open stage with a good surface that ends near Grândola, with the final 30 km on sand reminiscent of the iconic Dakar. The public can visit the bivouac between 6 PM and 10 PM.
Access link to follow Stage 1 of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal:
https://rallyraidportugal.com/content.aspx?menuid=1342
Program
September 24 – Stage 1 Grândola–Grândola (302 km)
06:00 – Start of 1st Bike from Parque de Feiras e Exposições de Grândola
08:00 – Start of 1st Car from Parque de Feiras e Exposições de Grândola
16:15 – Arrival of 1st Bike at Parque de Feiras e Exposições de Grândola (estimated)
18:00 – Arrival of 1st Car at Parque de Feiras e Exposições de Grândola (estimated)
19:00 – W2RC Medal Ceremony at Parque de Feiras e Exposições de Grândola