Contesting international motorsport’s toughest event for only the second time, The Dacia Sandriders finished first, fourth, seventh and 11th after two weeks of intense desert-based action back in January.
Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin took the landmark win for the Dacia brand to claim the lead of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) for drivers and navigators respectively, as The Dacia Sandriders moved to the head of the manufacturer standings.
From its four-strong Dakar Rally line-up, The Dacia Sandriders switches to a three-car effort for Rally-Raid Portugal, a considerably shorter event compared to the season opener in Saudi Arabia.
Joining Al-Attiyah / Lurquin are Sébastien Loeb and Édouard Boulanger and Lucas Moraes and Dennis Zenz.
Rally-Raid Portugal represents a happy hunting ground for The Dacia Sandriders after Loeb / Boulanger completed the podium when the event last took place in September 2025. After finishing third with his previous team two years ago, Moraes scored his maiden W2RC victory in Portugal last season, a result that was crucial to the Brazilian’s capture of the W2RC title in Morocco the following month, prior to him joining The Dacia Sandriders. Al-Attiyah won the inaugural edition of Rally-Raid Portugal in 2024 with Boulanger navigating.
For the first time in the W2RC, the starting order of Stage 1 will be based on championship positions rather than the results of the Prologue, as was previously the case, including on the Dakar Rally. It follows a change to the W2RC sporting regulations for 2026 and means Al-Attiyah / Lurquin will open the road for their rivals.
The three Dacia Sandrider cars contesting Rally-Raid Portugal are powered by ARAMCO sustainable fuel and equipped with BFGoodrich tyres.
Having overseen The Dacia Sandriders’ standout victory on the Dakar Rally, Tiphanie Isnard, Team Principal, has been hard at work preparing the team for the second round of the W2RC. She said: “After a Dakar that fully met our objectives, we approach this European round of the W2RC with a clear ambition: to consolidate our leading positions in the world championship standings.
That said, we remain humble. The terrain our Dacia Sandrider cars will encounter during Rally-Raid Portugal will be challenging, with waterlogged ground following recent heavy rainfall and an early spring event very different from last year’s autumn edition. We have worked extensively to address the brake issues experienced in Portugal last season. However, we know this will be a completely different challenge, demanding and potentially unpredictable. Our crews are looking forward to being back together, as is the entire team. We will rely on our strong mindset, our collective standards and our determination to approach each race as a truly exceptional chapter in our journey.”
THE DACIA SANDRIDERS RALLY-RAID PORTUGAL 2026 LINE-UP
#299: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Fabian Lurquin (BEL)
#219: Sébastien Loeb (FRA) / Édouard Boulanger (FRA)
#233: Lucas Moreas (BRA) / Dennis Zenz (GER)
RALLY-RAID PORTUGAL 2026: KEY INFORMATION
Starts: Grândola, Portugal, 17 March | Finishes: Loulé, Portugal, 22 March
Stages: 5
Stage Distance: 1,320 kilometres | Total Distance: 2,175 kilometres
RALLY-RAID PORTUGAL 2026: THE BIG NUMBER
33: Following its victory on the Dakar Rally, The Dacia Sandriders leads the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship for Manufacturers by 33 points.
