The BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal will witness the comeback of Carlos Sainz, who will be driving a Mini JCW Rally Plus from the X-Raid team managed by Sven Quandt, the former head of the Audi Sport program at the previous Dakar event. The reigning champion of the 2024 Dakar is determined to protect his position at the top of the W2RC drivers’ ranking.
Toyota (108 pts) currently holds a dominant position in the manufacturer standings, leading Nasser Racing by Prodrive (76 pts). Although the Japanese brand is ahead of its British counterpart in the drivers’ classification, the two-time world champion (67 pts) is closely trailing behind Sainz (76 pts).
Following his retirement from the Dakar, Nasser Al Attiyah secured victory at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, reducing the gap between him and the Spaniard to just nine points.
Unfortunately, incidents involving Guillaume de Mevius and Guerlain Chicherit in the Abu Dhabi dunes led to the early exit of the Overdrive Racing teammates from the second round.
However, their strong performance prior to their retirement, along with their impressive second and third-place finishes in the Dakar W2RC classification, have placed them right behind the Qatari driver. The Frenchman currently holds the third position overall (64 pts), with the Belgian in fourth place (62 pts). Only a mere five points separate Nasser Al Attiyah in second place from Guillaume de Mevius in fourth.
After two rounds, the top four contenders are all within a 14-point range. This level of competitiveness in the Ultimate category has never been witnessed before in the second half of the championship since the establishment of the W2RC.
Yazeed Al Rajhi, who secured the second position in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, will feel right at home on the WRC-style tracks. The Saudi driver currently holds the fifth position overall (51 pts).
The three new recruits for TGR, namely Lucas Moraes, Seth Quintero, and Saood Variawa, will also be in contention, alongside the regulars from Overdrive Racing – Denis Krotov, Juan Cruz Yacopini, Eugenio Amos, Lionel Baud, and the female racer Aliyyah Koloc representing Buggyra ZM Racing.
Under the Prodrive banner, the Marcos brothers and Cristian Baumgart from X-Rally Motorsport will once again be present, with the impressive performances of the Brazilian drivers further strengthening the reputation of Nasser Al Attiyah and the Prodrive brand.