Old Friends Rally Team driver takes a cautious approach on Stage 3
Alexandre Pinto returned today to the lead of the SSV World Rally-Raid Championship, tied with two other drivers, after scoring one point for finishing 5th among the W2RC contenders competing in the Dakar Rally, the opening round of the 2026 W2RC season.
Stage 3, contested today, started and finished in AlUla and featured a 421-kilometre timed special, marked by demanding navigation. The young reigning SSV Rally-Raid World Champion, driving the Polaris RZR Pro entered by the Old Friends Rally Team, and his co-driver—also World Champion—Bernardo Oliveira, overcame the challenge while maintaining a pace the driver described as conservative but aligned with the team’s strategy, on the eve of the marathon stage that will span the next two days.
“Today was again a long and difficult stage. We had to manage the car well. We had one puncture, which cost us a bit of time. We were conservative in the rockier sections, which meant losing some time to the drivers who attacked more, but we chose a more cautious rhythm. Tomorrow is the marathon stage. It’s two days without assistance and one night sleeping in the desert. We’re preparing everything with that in mind. We’re in the overall Top 5, which is positive for us,” explains Alexandre Pinto.
Tomorrow sees Stage 4, the first part of a marathon stage and the second marathon stage of this Dakar Rally edition, again with start and finish in AlUla. Competitors will take on 452 kilometres against the clock. Although the route runs mostly through open terrain, the zigzags between hills will force frequent changes of pace. At the finish, the bivouac will host the crews, and any work on the vehicles will be done only by the competitors themselves, with no time limit, and without any external assistance.
Source: Official Press Release
Disclaimer:
As a service to the sport we all love and follow, Rally-Raid Network posts numerous media releases from a wide variety of sources on our website. Due to the large number, and some times short time available, it is nearly impossible to review each public release. These articles are written by reporters or press officers who work for various organizers, teams, drivers, riders, and other parties, and they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rally-Raid Network.
