Discovering Rally Raid Portugal, new round of W2RC

As part of the World Championship of rally-W2RC 2024 raid, this is the most innovative event. The only European event of the year, the Rally Raid Portugal will take place from April 3 to 7 and will remind some of the ultimate African Dakars.

Indeed, Portugal had hosted the start of the Dakar three times, between 2006 and 2008, in the capital Lisbon. Sixteen years later, Rally Raid Portugal continues the link with a demanding route of more than 1 km in several regions of the country… but also in Spain, with an excursion planned in the Extremadura region.

« It is a difficult race to organize, there are more than 1700 kilometers of route, through the Portuguese regions of Alentejo and Ribatejo and the Spanish regions of Extremadura, with all that this implies, but with the experience and the quality of our team we managed to do it, indicates Carlos Barbosa, President of the Automóvel Club de Portugal (organizer). I think the ACP will organize a great race and prove once again that we are excellent organizers. It will be a very dense race, with great drivers and above all very interesting, because the course is completely different from what they have done so far. » 

« We are very happy that the FIA ​​and FIM world championship is stopping in Europe and that Portugal is our host, continues David Castera, Director of Motor Sports ASO (promoter of W2RC). The country has been a pioneer in terms of the creation of off-road events, land of bajas for several decades. National know-how will highlight the great champions of rally raids in Europe, a historic breeding ground of competitors which still remains a source of enthusiasts today. Some will discover or rediscover the world of the discipline a few hours from home. For others, it will be an opportunity to test themselves before perhaps going further by joining the W2RC caravan at future events. A stopover with regenerative virtues. » 

The Rally Raid Portugal should recall the tracks of the Andalusia Rally, organized in the south of Spain between 2020 and 2022. Based in Grândola, the bivouac will be set up an hour and a quarter drive south-east of the capital, Lisbon. It is the heart of Portugal with the Setúbal region which will be an easily accessible host for competitors and spectators alike. It is at the gates of the bivouac that the traditional prologue will first take place.

Originality of this round, this trial gallop which makes it possible to determine the starting orders in the first stage, is scheduled for the morning. From the afternoon, the competitors will set off in stage 1, divided into two parts. After having completed 97% of the stage towards Santiago do Cacém, the competitors will take a break. At the start of the evening, a final 3 kilometer sprint surrounded by the public will be broadcast live in a unique way on television on Sport TV, broadcaster of the biggest sporting events in Portugal. The prologue, the ceremony for choosing the order of departures as well as stage 1 will therefore be grouped together on the same day.

Another specificity of Rally Raid Portugal, the entire day of stage 4 will be held in Spain. The town of Badajoz in the Extremadura region will be in the spotlight, the limited number of assistance teams will depart there to welcome the finish of stage 3 before returning to Grândola the next day. This will be the first cross-border round of W2RC since its advent.

Concerning the entrants, Rally Raid Portugal will be able to count on Nasser Al-Attiyah accompanied by his new French co-driver, Édouard Boulanger. THE Toyota Hilux entered by the Belgian team Overdrive should make the trip as will the official 4x4s of Toyota Gazoo Racing (Seth Quintero, Lucas Moraes).

The programme

• March 18 : closing of commitments
• March 25 : publication of the entry list
• March 30-31 : opening of the bivouac
• 1^er April : administrative checks and technical pre-checks
• 2th April :
  • administrative checks and technical pre-checks
  • general briefing and stage 1
  • press conference
  • departure ceremony 
• 3th April :
  • prologue to Grândola (5 km)
  • departure order selection ceremony
  • stage 1 part 1 (SS: 100km)
  • stage 1 part 2 (SS: 3 km)
• 4th April : stage 2 (SS: 220 km)
• 5th April : stage 3 (SS: 282 km)
• 6th April : stage 4 (SS: 270 km)
  • April 7:
  • stage 5 (SS: 133 km)
  • final press conference
  • award ceremony