The 45th edition of the all-terrain Dakar Rally, which will take place from December 31 to January 15 in Saudi Arabia, will initially have 17 drivers of Portuguese origin.
Rui Gonçalves (Sherco), Joaquim Rodrigues Jr. (Hero), António Maio (Yamaha), Mário Patrão (KTM), on motorcycles, joins the Luso-German Sebastian Buhler (Hero) also on two wheels.
The navigators Paulo Fiúza (co-driver of the Lithuanian Vaidotas Zala, in a Hunter) and José Marques (of the Lithuanian Gintas Petrus, in a Chevrolet) participate in the cars.
This time, most of the national fleet is enrolled in light vehicles, the SSV, with Hélder Rodrigues/Gonçalo Reis (BRP Can-Am), João Ferreira/Filipe Palmeiro (Yamaha), as well as Ricardo Nevertheless, sailed by the Argentine Augusto. Sanz (Yamaha) while Paulo Oliveira (who runs with a Mozambican license) will have the Spanish Miguel Alberty (Can-Am Maverick) as co-driver.
Pedro Bianchi Prata will be navigating for Brazilian driver Bruno Conti de Oliveira (BRP Can-Am) and Fausto Mota, who races with a Spanish license, will be navigating for Brazilian Cristiano Batista (BRP Can-Am).
In trucks, José Martins is registered as a driver in a Boucou Iveco Team, with the French navigator Jeremie Gimbre and the French mechanic Eric Simonin.
Still in trucks, Armando Loureiro will co-drive in a MAN with the French driver Sebastien Fargeas and the French mechanic Luc Fertin.
The 2023 edition marks the return of Hélder Rodrigues to the race in which he has already been on the motorcycle podium twice (he was third in 2011 and 2012), having finished the race 11 times, seven of them in the top five.
After helping Rubén Faria lead the Honda team in recent years, which won in 2020 and 2021, he now returns in the new category of light vehicles.
Still in the SSV, highlights for the former national champion Ricardo Mas and for the current Portuguese and European off-road car champion, João Ferreira.
In motorcycles, Rui Gonçalves from Trás-os-Montes and Minho Joaquim Rodrigues Jr. are candidates for the top 15 places in the standings.
The 45th edition of the off-road Dakar Rally starts on December 31 at Sea Camp and ends on January 15 at Dammam.
In total, 455 vehicles and 820 participants are registered.
Source: Observadora
