The fifth and final stage of the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal 2025 marked the decisive conclusion to a week filled with battles, rain, dust, and unmistakable rally spirit. The short 287-kilometre loop around Lisbon, with only 103 kilometres against the clock, delivered not just stage victories, but also world titles and surprising Dutch successes.
Sanders seals the deal: RallyGP World Champion
With a second-place finish in the final stage, Daniel Sanders (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) clinched the world title in the premier class RallyGP in dominant fashion. The Australian held off defending champion Tosha Schareina (Honda HRC), who mounted a strong attack but still lost 28 seconds and ended the rally in second place overall, 3’40” behind.
Teammate Luciano Benavides won the final stage and jumped past Ricky Brabec into third place in the general classification. Brabec settled for fourth, ahead of teammate Skyler Howes, who capped a solid week with a fifth-place finish.
Dutchman Joël van Mechelen (BAS World KTM) closed out his Rally2 campaign in strong fashion, finishing 16th in the stage and securing P8 overall in the Rally2 classification, his best W2RC result to date.
Moraes beats Lategan, Loeb claims podium spot
In the fiercely contested car category, Lucas Moraes emerged victorious in a head-to-head battle with teammate Henk Lategan, finishing 19 seconds ahead. The Brazilian secured his first W2RC win, while Toyota struck a decisive 1-2 blow against rivals Dacia.
Sébastien Loeb (Dacia) took third, with Nasser Al Attiyah in fourth. Despite a disappointing rally, the Qatari driver still leads the championship—though Moraes (–10 pts) and Lategan (–9 pts) are now dangerously close heading into the season finale in Morocco. It was Moraes’ first-ever W2RC victory. “It was really tough, but I’m so happy I could do this for the team; the car performed brilliantly.” Lategan added, “We had quite a few setbacks, including driveshaft issues and punctures, but this podium truly feels like a win. It was fantastic to race in front of so many spectators on such beautiful tracks.” With that result, Toyota Gazoo Racing also successfully defends its W2RC manufacturers’ title.
Dutch FIA competitors on the final day:
- Rik van den Brink & Gydo Heimans (Team SRT, Toyota) – 41st in the stage, P35 overall
- Arjan van Tiel (co-pilot of Vincent Thijs, RT Offroad) – 29th in the stage, P28 overall
- Richard Timmerman & Kala Senders (ORC / Oeste Racing Competition) – 42nd in the stage, P39 overall
- Johan & Yvet Senders (ORC / Oeste Racing Competition) – 47th in the stage, P42 overall
- Bert Mourik & Robert Voor de Poorte (Red-Lined Europe) – did not finish this stage, DNF
Klaassen and Laan reach podium in Challenger class
A major highlight came from Dutch soil: Pim Klaassen and Mark Laan (DaklaPack Rallysport) secured their first-ever podium in an FIA World Rally-Raid Championship event. After five grueling days, they crossed the line in third place in the Challenger class, just 19 minutes behind Portuguese winner Gonçalo Guerreiro. At just 20 years old, Klaassen underlined his rising-star status in the rally world. Also in Challenger, Wouter Rosegaar finished 37th in the stage as navigator for Aczel in the South Racing Can-Am.
Canet dominates, Zoldos undefeated
Edgar Canet (KTM Factory Racing) lived up to expectations in Rally2, taking overall victory after winning five of six stages. His final margin over Portuguese revelation Bruno Santos (BS Frutas Patrícia Pilar) was over five minutes.
Michael Docherty (BAS World KTM) finished third, with Van Mechelen close behind in P8, a strong sign of progress for the Dutch rider, who continues to grow his role within the BAS team.
In Rally3, Thomas Zoldos remained unbeaten and claimed the championship lead in his debut season. Fellow Frenchmen Salvador and Gonçalo Amaral won the final stage, but were never a threat to Zoldos’ dominance.
Martinez takes the title, Pinto untouchable
In the quad category, the world title went to Gaëtan Martinez (CFMoto Thunder Racing), who convincingly outperformed direct rival Antanas Kanopkinas.
In the SSV class, Alexandre Pinto (Old Friends Rally Team) completed a perfect campaign: six stages, six wins. While the title isn’t officially secured yet, his 33-point lead makes a Portuguese championship celebration in Morocco all but certain.
RallyTracks looks ahead
With Rally Raid Portugal in the books, only one round remains: the Rallye du Maroc (October 10–17). The quad title has been decided, but every other class remains open. Dutch fans will have their eyes on Pim Klaassen, Joël van Mechelen, and the DaklaPack Rallysport team. Of course, RallyTracks will be there again to bring you all the updates.
