2024 BP Ultimate Rally-Raid: 169 on entry list

Followers upset with the entry record for the Abu Dhabi Desert Problem needs to be cheered up by the grid for the World Rally-Raid Championship‘s return to Europe for the inaugural BP Final Rally-Raid. 169 groups, the biggest discipline for a W2RC spherical exterior of the Dakar Rally, comprise the provisional entry record with 87 in FIA classes, 64 for the FIM, 17 within the non-FIA Nationwide division for Portuguese Cross-Nation Championship rivals, and a single Open automobile.

The Final class leads the way in which on the FIA aspect with 35 vehicles forward of Challenger’s 32, SSV’s 19, and the lone Inventory entrant. Rally2 additionally has 35 for probably the most in FIM adopted by eleven Quads and 9 apiece in RallyGP and Rally3.

Many who didn’t race Abu Dhabi will return for Portugal, most notably Dakar champion Carlos Sainz and third-placed Sébastien Loeb, albeit in numerous rides from what they ran within the season opener. With Workforce Audi Sport shutting down their rally division weeks earlier than the ADDC as a consequence of an absence of elements (and getting fined for it), Sainz has opted to reunite with X-raid Workforce and race a Mini John Cooper Works Rally Plus, with which he gained the Dakar in 2020; X-raid’s supervisor Sven Quandt beforehand oversaw Audi’s operations through Q Motorsport. Regardless of not racing the ADDC, Sainz stays the factors chief by 9 over winner Nasser Al-Attiyah.

Whereas the Prodrive Hunter remains to be being raced post-Dakar, Loeb has opted to drop all the way down to the Challenger class the place he’ll race a Taurus T3 Max for Crimson Bull Off-Street Junior Workforce. Reverse his change, João Ferreira trades in his Can-Am SSV for a Mini and can crew up with Sainz at X-raid. Ferreira is greater than acquainted with the Mini as he at the moment races it within the World and European Baja Cups, however this shall be simply his second time coming into a W2RC occasion in it after his début on the 2022 Andalucía Rally. Eduard Pons can also be transferring from SSV to Final and can race a Ford Ranger for Previous-Racing.

With Pau Navarro unavailable as he focuses on the Rallye Sierra Morena, Sainz’s arrival means X-raid will nonetheless have an all-Iberian driver lineup. Vaidotas Žala, one other Mini driver, returns although his automobile is being ready by Distinctive Racing Workforce slightly than X-raid; Distinctive beforehand did the identical for his Mini début on the 2022 Baja Aragón in neighbouring Spain.

Guerlain Chicherit, main the Toyota Hilux assault, could have Al-Attiyah’s former navigator Mathieu Baumel by his aspect as his standard co-driver Alex Winocq is out as a consequence of damage.

As anticipated for the collection’ return to Europe, many groups and regulars within the FIA European Baja Cup will participate like Ghislain de Mévius and Tiago Reis, who positioned second and third within the 2023 European Cup. De Mévius’ family-run GRallyTeam, led by Final driver Guillaume de Mévius, shall be effectively represented with 4 OT3 vehicles in Challenger; considered one of these is pushed by Rui Carneiro, whose co-driver Ola Fløene completed third within the 2015 World Rally Championship with Andreas Mikkelsen.

Distinctive Racing Workforce boasts expertise within the Spanish Cross-Nation Rally Championship, whereas its Portuguese counterpart has racers in each FIA and Nationwide lessons. The seventeen within the latter embrace 5 T1 vehicles (Final within the FIA), six T3 (Challenger), three T2 (Inventory), two T4 (SSV), and a T8 (one other prototype-based class like T1). Gunther Hinkelmann is the one non-Portuguese Nationwide driver because the reigning T1 FIA champion within the Brazilian championship.

The Dutchman Johan Senders is racing a Toyota Hilux within the Open class because it meets neither FIA nor CPTT rules.

Whereas RallyGP remains to be scant with simply 9 riders, it’s excess of the Hero MotoSports-only battle in Abu Dhabi because the marque renews their championship battle with Monster Vitality Honda Rally Workforce. ADDC winner Aaron Marè, who crammed in at Hero for the injured Sebastian Bühler, just isn’t entered. The race comes on the heels of main shake-ups within the class as José Ignacio Cornejo left Honda, Toby Worth departed Crimson Bull KTM Manufacturing facility Racing amidst a dialled-down rally programme, and Hero’s Joaquim Rodrigues introduced his retirement.

Rally2 championship rivals who missed Abu Dhabi however are again for Portugal embrace Romain Dumontier and Bradley Cox. Dakar winner Harith Noah additionally returns, although he isn’t racing for factors.

The Rally3 class for enduro bikes seems at a W2RC spherical for the primary time in 2024. Reigning FIM Bajas World Cup Veterans Trophy winner Pedro Bianchi Prata headlines the nine-rider division.

Manuel Andújar rejoins the championship after profitable the Dakar in Quad then skipping the ADDC. CFMOTO Thunder Racing Workforce additionally returns, having been pressured to overlook the second spherical as a consequence of logistical snares created by the Crimson Sea disaster.

Seventeen riders are a part of the Street to Dakar, the place being the very best finisher in that group will earn them free registration for the 2025 or 2026 Dakar Rally.

The rally begins on 3 April and runs via 7 April.

FIA entry record

Final

Challenger

SSV

Inventory

FIM entry record

RallyGP

Rally2

Rally3

Quad

Open entry record

Nationwide entry record