The global off-road elite is preparing to head to Portugal and Spain’s Extremadura region where, for one week, competitors will tackle the challenging routes designed by the Automóvel Club de Portugal for the third edition of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal. The event, which starts in Grândola on 17 March and finishes in the municipality of Loulé on 22 March, features an extensive and highly competitive entry list, including the leading teams contesting the World Rally-Raid Championship, for which the rally counts as a scoring round.

In the car category, several manufacturers are competing with factory-backed teams, including Dacia, Toyota, Ford, Ebro and Defender. Among the drivers, Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) leads a star-studded field. The Qatari currently tops the world championship standings following his victory at the Dakar Rally and arrives at the second round of the season ahead of Mattias Ekström (Ford). Most of the discipline’s major names have answered the call. The entry list also includes reigning world champion and defending bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal winner Lucas Moraes (Dacia), alongside Sébastien Loeb (Dacia), Carlos Sainz (Ford), Yazeed Al Rajhi and Henk Lategan, both driving for Toyota.

The popularity of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal is also evident in the Challenger and SSV categories. Virtually all of the top contenders in these classes are set to start the event, promising intense battles for victory. Confirmed entries include SSV world champion Alexandre Pinto (Taurus) and Pau Navarro (Bairons), the current leader of the category in 2026. João Monteiro (Can-Am), currently second in the SSV championship, leads a sizeable field featuring strong Portuguese representation. Another highlight is the Stock category, reserved for vehicles closest to their production versions, where Defender will line up at full strength.

In the motorcycle category, Honda, KTM and Hero MotoCorp arrive with near-full factory line-ups. Daniel Sanders (KTM), winner of the 2025 edition, returns aiming to repeat his success. However, the balance between manufacturers is extremely close, as demonstrated in the season-opening round, suggesting several genuine contenders for victory. Among them are championship leader Luciano Benavides (KTM), as well as Honda riders Ricky Brabec, Skyler Howes and Tosha Schareina, and Hero representatives José Ignacio Cornejo and Ross Branch. In Rally2, the top three riders in the standings — including Martim Ventura (Honda) — are confirmed starters.

Meanwhile, CFMoto will field two factory quads, both for Latvian riders.

Ambitious Portuguese contenders

Among the 117 registered competitors, 24 Portuguese crews will compete in the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal.

One of the standout entries is the duo João Ferreira / Filipe Palmeiro, who arrive in high spirits after winning the opening round of the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship and are expected to fight for overall victory.

In the Challenger category, Alexandre Pinto leads the national contingent, which also includes former Portuguese champion Ricardo Porém.

However, it is in the SSV class that Portuguese competitors shine brightest. João Monteiro is the best-placed championship contender competing in the event. He is joined by multiple Portuguese champion Miguel Barbosa and the rapid duo Luís Cidade and Luís Portela Morais.

In the motorcycle category, Martim Ventura leads the Portuguese delegation, with several riders from the national championship also on the starting line, including Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) and Micael Simão (KTM).

“Since its first edition, the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal has established itself as the reference event for the discipline in Europe, giving it strong international prominence. The routes are very particular and completely different from most rallies in the World Championship, something teams — especially the drivers — have recognised, highlighting the technical character of the course.”

“Combined with a highly experienced organisation and outstanding work in areas such as sustainability, this results in an extremely competitive entry list with several potential winners. For the Automóvel Club de Portugal, this is the ultimate guarantee that fans will enjoy a spectacular event as they follow competitors along the tracks and trails of Portugal and Spain’s Extremadura region.”

— Carlos Barbosa, President of the Organising Committee of the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal

Service park open to the public

Fans will have a unique opportunity to see the world’s best rally-raid cars, motorcycles and riders up close during the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal.

In addition to the action on the stages across Portugal and Extremadura, visitors will be able to access the service park, a genuine centre of excellence for global off-road competition, which will be established in Grândola, Badajoz and Loulé.

Grândola

16–18 March
18:00–22:00 (Portugal time)

Badajoz
19–20 March
18:00–23:00 (Spanish time)

Loulé
21 March
18:00–22:00 (Portugal time)

Visitors will be able to see the cars and motorcycles up close as teams prepare for the demanding stages of the rally.

Full Entry List FIA

Full Entry List FIM