After the historic triumph at the Dakar Rally in January, the Dacia "sand hunters" swapped the dunes of Saudi Arabia for the technical and water-soaked routes of the Iberian Peninsula. In the first special stage of the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, Sébastien Loeb demonstrated that the Romanian prototype is a force on any surface, settling on the provisional podium.
GRÂNDOLA, Portugal – The Dacia Sandriders team has started the second round of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) with a bang, confirming its status as a favorite for the world title in what is, surprisingly, its “farewell tour.” Although the team recently announced that it will retire from the competition at the end of the 2026 season, the drivers’ motivation seems higher than ever.
The first special stage, a 180-kilometer loop starting and finishing in the Portuguese town of Grândola, put the crews to a tough test. The recent heavy rains turned the route into a mud trap, where grip became a luxury.
Frenchman Sébastien Loeb, alongside his new co-driver Édouard Boulanger, masterfully handled these conditions. The Dacia crew ended the day in 3rd place, just 28 seconds behind local leader Joao Ferreira (Toyota).
"It was an extremely technical day. The mud made keeping the car on the track a constant challenge. We saw a lot of mistakes around, but we stayed on the road and are in an excellent position for the rest of the rally," said Loeb at the end of the day.
The winner of the 2026 Dakar, Nasser Al-Attiyah, had a thankless task: to open the way. In a stage marked by poor visibility and complex navigation, the Qatari adopted a cautious tactic. However, an error of vigilance in a restricted speed zone earned him a one-minute penalty, dropping him to 8th place overall (+3:14 to the leader).
Lucas Moraes, the reigning world champion and new signing for the Dacia team, was not spared from problems either. The Brazilian was running at a podium pace until halfway through the race, when a collision with a fence affected his steering, ultimately finishing in 6th place.
If for Dacia it was a day of consolidation, for its rivals Ford the debut was disastrous. Both of the American team's top drivers, the legendary Carlos Sainz Sr. and Mattias Ekström, were forced to retire prematurely due to technical failures, leaving the fight for victory to be fought mainly between Dacia and Toyota.
On Wednesday, March 19, the competition moves to another level of endurance. The second stage offers an impressive timed section of 377 kilometers. The competitors will leave the camp in Grândola to cross the border into Spain, with the destination Badajoz, in a stage that could clarify the hierarchy at the top of the W2RC standings.
1. Joao Ferreira (Toyota) – 02h 54m 00s
2. Seth Quintero (Toyota) – +17s
3. Sébastien Loeb (Dacia) – +28s
4. Lucas Moraes (Dacia) – +1m 46s
5. Nasser Al-Attiyah (Dacia) – +3m 14s (penalized 1m)