Dacia Dictatorship in Rally-Raid: Sébastien Loeb conquers Portugal and becomes world leader

After the historic triumph in Dakar, the "Silver Arrows" of the Dacia Sandriders team continue to dominate the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC). Sébastien Loeb provided a driving lesson on the technical routes in Portugal, marking the team's second consecutive victory this season and comfortably settling into the leader's seat of the overall standings.

Dacia Sandriders seems to have found the magic formula in 2026. The Romanian project has not only confirmed expectations, but has begun to transform the competition into a pursuit race in which rivals from Toyota and Ford seem, for the moment, to be luxury spectators. The Rally of Portugal was the perfect stage for a Sébastien Loeb in top form, who managed the advantage obtained from the early stages impeccably.

Loeb, the "Master" of mixed terrain

The Frenchman took over the baton in special stage number two and never looked back. Together with his co-driver, Edouard Boulanger, Loeb finished the race with a lead of 2 minutes and 46 seconds over Seth Quintero (Toyota). The podium was completed by Joao Ferreira, also in a Toyota, demonstrating that although the rivals are close, Dacia has that "plus" of speed and reliability necessary for victory.

"The sensations were excellent, the Sandrider worked perfectly. I really enjoyed this rally, the stages are technical and the driving is like in the WRC, a terrain where I feel at home," Loeb declared at the end, visibly satisfied with the car's behavior on a route that put the Ultimate category to a tough test.

Dacia Sandriders: A streak of invincibility

The victory in Portugal marks the Dacia team's fifth success in W2RC and its third consecutive victory (a streak that began in Morocco in 2025). It is clear proof that the Dakar success was not a fluke, but the result of top-notch engineering.

While Loeb shone, his teammates had contrasting fates:

• Lucas Moraes (4th place): The reigning champion demonstrated remarkable consistency, claiming two stage victories and precious points that keep him in the fight for the title.
• Nasser Al-Attiyah (19th place): The legendary Qatari driver was the victim of electrical problems in the third stage. However, his fighting spirit made him come back and score points for the constructors' standings, where Dacia is now "light years" behind its pursuers.

Drivers' General Classification (After Rally Portugal)

Constructors' Ranking:

What's next?

The show moves to the South American continent. The next stop is Argentina, for the Desafio Ruta 40 rally, scheduled between May 25 and 29. With an iron morale and a car that seems invincible on any type of surface, Dacia Sandriders starts as the clear favorite.

Will Nasser Al-Attiyah manage to recover the ground lost to Loeb, or will the Frenchman break away decisively on his way to his first world title with Dacia? It remains to be seen in the Argentine steppes.