Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Édouard Boulanger have secured victory at Rally-Raid Portugal, steering The Dacia Sandriders into the lead of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship standings.
Piloting an eco-conscious, sustainably fuelled Dacia Sandrider, the French pairing seized control of the event on Stage 2, which saw the rally transition from Portugal into Spain. From that moment, Loeb and Boulanger maintained their advantage, ultimately conquering the demanding 2,201-kilometre route with a winning margin of 2 minutes 46 seconds.
The crew’s success came despite adverse weather, with mud and rain adding to the already challenging terrain. Loeb and Boulanger demonstrated a consistent pace, finishing in the top three on four out of five stages. Their efforts not only delivered a notable individual triumph but also extended The Dacia Sandriders’ lead in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship for Manufacturers after two rounds.
Team-mates Lucas Moraes and Dennis Zenz finished fourth overall, contributing to the squad’s tally with The Dacia Sandriders’ 20th and 21st stage wins—recording the fastest times on Stages 3 and 5 respectively. Moraes, the reigning world champion and defending Portugal winner, overcame a turbulent event to post his best result since joining the team for 2026. Moraes and Zenz advanced from fifth to fourth on the final day, missing out on a podium finish by just 59 seconds.
Meanwhile, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Fabian Lurquin, winners of the season-opening Dakar Rally, remain in contention for the title. The duo faced a setback due to a technical issue caused by wet weather, forcing them to retire on Stage 3. After repairs, they returned to action, setting the second-fastest time on the final stage, close behind Moraes and Zenz.
The Dacia Sandriders’ record now stands at five World Rally-Raid Championship victories, remaining unbeaten in three consecutive starts following Loeb and Boulanger’s win at the 2025 Rallye du Maroc and Al-Attiyah and Lurquin’s Dakar Rally triumph earlier this season. For Loeb, this marks his third win in the series, while Boulanger has now celebrated six championship victories since the competition’s inception four years ago.
Stage 5, centred around Loulé in Portugal’s Algarve region, featured a 98-kilometre opening section dotted with blind crests and steep ravines, followed by a technical 2-kilometre loop near the Estádio do Algarve, concluding a total route of 1,270 competitive kilometres.
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