Teruel, Spain – July 27, 2025
In their first outing with the powerful Polaris RZR Pro, Alexandre Pinto and Bernardo Oliveira delivered a standout performance at Baja Aragón, securing second place in the SSV category and winning the final stage of the event. The Portuguese duo, representing the Old Friends Rally Team, impressed in a field packed with some of the world’s top SSV competitors at this key round of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas.
Coming off a sensational Dakar 2025 win, Pinto and Oliveira arrived in Spain leading the World Rally-Raid Championship (SSV category). They continued their strong season form by claiming two of the event’s three selective sections, showing serious pace in their new machine.
“Today was really positive. We managed to find a strong rhythm, and I felt much more in sync with this new car,” said Alexandre Pinto at the finish.
“We made some adjustments that paid off, and while there's still a lot of work ahead, we came to Baja Aragón precisely to evolve the car and adapt to it. Our goal is to stay sharp in the World Championship fight and start preparing for Dakar 2026—and that prep began right here.”
He added:
“This new Polaris has a lot of potential. The team has done an outstanding job, and I think today’s result reflects that. Finishing second, feeling this confident behind the wheel—it gives us a great outlook for what’s to come. A huge thank-you to all our sponsors and the entire team.”
Currently at the top of the World Championship standings in SSV, the pair has built a strong season, with victory at Dakar, a third-place finish at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, and second at the South African Safari Rally.
The World Rally-Raid Championship continues in Portugal from September 22–28, before concluding at the Rallye du Maroc from October 10–17.
📲 Follow the team and updates at FIA Cross Country Bajas
Source: Old Friends Rally Team official press release. Text adapted and edited by our editorial team.
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