Grândola, Portugal: Saudi rally champion Yazeed Al Rajhi is preparing to compete in the bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, the second round of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), scheduled to take place from 17 to 22 March across Portugal and Spain’s Extremadura region.

The event is considered one of the most prominent rounds of the championship, as its route crosses two neighboring European countries and brings together the world’s leading drivers and teams to compete across diverse stages stretching through both Portuguese and Spanish territory.

The rally will start from the town of Grândola in southern Portugal and cover a total distance of 2,175 km, including 1,320 km of timed special stages. The route features narrow, technical, and gravel tracks before finishing in the city of Loulé, presenting a different challenge compared to the open desert terrain typically seen in rallies such as Dakar, Abu Dhabi, and Morocco. Competitors will face demanding roads and varied landscapes requiring the highest levels of focus and driving precision.

Al Rajhi’s participation forms part of his campaign in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), where he aims to maintain a strong presence and compete against the sport’s elite drivers. This follows his participation in the Dakar Rally earlier in January, where his campaign ended prematurely after an early retirement. Through the upcoming rounds, Al-Rajhi hopes to bounce back by collecting as many championship points as possible amid strong competition from the world’s top teams and drivers.

The Saudi champion also expressed his appreciation for the continued support from his official partner, Jameel Motorsport, highlighting the important role this support plays in his career and emphasizing that it remains a key factor in enabling him to compete strongly on the global, regional, and local stages.

Al Rajhi said, “We are ready for the challenge of Rally-Raid Portugal, and we are aiming to deliver a strong performance and fight for top positions.” Our participation in the World Championship this season is very important, especially after things did not go as planned for us at the Dakar Rally earlier this year. Our focus now is to come back stronger, collect as many championship points as possible, and use every round to further strengthen our preparation for the upcoming competitions.”