After a remarkable performance in 2024 — finishing 3rd overall and claiming victory in the Rally2 category at the Portuguese round of the World Rally-Raid Championship — Bruno Santos is once again set to battle against the world’s best riders at the bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, which kicks off tomorrow in Grândola.
The rider from Torres Vedras, current runner-up in the Portuguese Cross-Country Championship and a standout Rookie podium finisher at Dakar 2024, will be riding a new Husqvarna FR450 Rally. With the backing of Frutas Patrícia Pilar and additional support from Momento TT, Santos enters this year’s challenge eager to push hard and fight for the front of the field.
“I’m back at this World Championship event, which once again runs through Portugal and Spain. It’s my second participation in this ACP-organized rally, and I know it will be a top-level event. I’ll be debuting a new bike here, which I’ll also use in the upcoming races. My goal is to give my very best, stay up front, and fight for the top positions. Last year I managed to take 3rd overall against all these incredible competitors. I’ll give everything again and hope to deliver a strong result in front of this amazing crowd that comes from far and wide to support us along the way,” said Bruno Santos.
The bp Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, the only European stop of the W2RC, runs for six days and covers around 2,300 kilometers, with 1,400 km against the clock. Riders and drivers will tackle five demanding stages plus a prologue, racing through Alentejo, Ribatejo, and Spain’s Extremadura. The competition starts in Grândola, crosses into Badajoz, and concludes at the Doca de Pedrouços in Belém, Lisbon. The prologue, set for tomorrow, features a fast and technical 5.03 km course around Grândola, with the bivouac located at the town’s Exhibition Park.
With a new machine, fresh motivation, and the roar of the crowd behind him, Bruno Santos is ready to fight for the podium once again.
Source: Bruno Santos official press release
Translation: Rally-Raid Network
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