Dakar stars accelerate in Portugal

From Wednesday until Sunday, names like Carlos Sainz (winner of the Dakar 2024), Sébastien Loeb and Nasser Al-Attiyah, in cars; Adrien Van Beveren or Pablo Quintanilla, on motorbikes, will participate in the W2RC Rally in Portugal, the third event of the World Championship, which will take place on the sand and dirt tracks of Alentejo, Ribatejo and Spanish Extremadura.

The Dakar stars begin the fight against the clock in the municipalities of Grândola and Santiago do Cacém, in a 3.53 kilometer Prologue, which brings together 169 teams from 30 nationalities.

El Matador, as the Spanish Carlos Sainz, two-time World Rally Champion, is known, made history at the Dakar in January, with Audi, by becoming the first driver to win the most important off-road race with four different brands – Volkswagen, Peugeot, Mini and Audi -, also achieving the first victory for a hybrid car in the race. Also for this reason, Sainz’s participation behind the wheel of the new X-Raid Mini JCW Team adds even more interest to the fight for the W2RC title, promising to attract thousands of fans.

“It’s always a pleasure to come to Portugal to race. I was here for many years in the World Rally Championship and in Baja, I have very good memories of both”, confessed the 61-year-old Spaniard, who reached the Portuguese stage as leader, but with no “intentions” of doing the World Championship: “I want to enjoy the race , which as always should have a lot of public. The enthusiasm from Portugal and Spain is always fantastic and I’m sure it will support all the riders.”

Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah has world cup ambitions. The reigning two-time World Champion and five-time winner of the Dakar, who triumphed in Abu Dhabi in the Spaniard’s absence and returns to Portugal with the Prodrive Hunter T1+, which debuted in the last Baja Portalegre 500. “It won’t be an easy race for anyone and I will try to be in the fight for victory. It’s a long race and with these rain and mud conditions it must be very tough. We will certainly have many spectators, as usual in Portugal, and I ask everyone to stay safe”, asked the Qatari pilot.

Sainz and Al-Attiyah are not alone in the fight for the title, as Sébastien Loeb is another former WRC Champion who now shines in Rally-Raids. Third placed in the Dakar, the French driver chose Portugal for his debut in this competition and will take the opportunity to discover Portuguese and Spanish trails with a Dacia prototype. “I have great memories of Portugal, it has always been special to race here, due to the atmosphere created by the spectators”, said Sébastien Loeb.

Among the Portuguese, there will be Tiago Reis and João Ramos, the first two classified in the Portuguese Off-Road Championship, and João Ferreira, “a very professional and fast driver, who will have a great future ahead of him”, according to Sainz, who joked about the fact that he is as young as his son Carlos Sainz Jr. who races in F1 for Ferrari.

The motorcycle race features the participation of factory teams from Honda, Hero and Sherco, whose stars join the best Portuguese riders. Led by Rúben Faria, Monster Energy Honda has several candidates for victory, despite the absence of North American Ricky Brabec. “I want to highlight the work of the ACP in creating an event like this, to bring the world’s top pilots to Portugal. In our team, we have riders with the capacity to fight for victory, Adrien (Van Beveren), Pablo (Quintanilla) and Tosha (Schairena), even Skyler (Howes) is becoming increasingly competitive on this type of route. We are going to have a very diverse race, with different terrain at each stage, and this values ​​the driver who can be stronger”stated the Portuguese director of Honda.

Despite Honda’s power, it is Hero that arrives in Portugal leading the World Championship among drivers and constructors. Ross Branch, driver from Botswana, came close to winning the Dakar (2nd place) and moved to the front of the World Championship in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, appearing motivated in the Portuguese race, organized by the Automóvel Club de Portugal. António Maio (Yamaha), Bruno Santos (Husqvarna) or Martim Ventura (KTM) will try to use the home advantage to surprise the world elite on the 1,758 kilometers of the route.

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