“Our goal is top 5”
CREW FACTS
R.P.
- Ricardo Porem made his debut on the Dakar back in 2019 in a Can-Am Maverick and finished in a more than respectable 13th place.
- The following year the two times Portuguese national champion and four times winner of the Baja Portalegere moved up to the T1 category in a Borgward but failed to make it to the finish line - something he did achieve in the same car on the 2021 edition, arriving in 20th place.
- Having previously raced with X-Raid, the Portuguese racer jumped at the opportunity to drive their new Yamaha powered T3 on the 2023 Dakar. For 2024 Ricardo switched to the French MMP T3 and finished 8th in the Challenger class and 34th overall.
N.0.S
- Nuno Sousa accompanied his friend on last year’s Dakar, helping out in the bivouac and putting his digital marketing skills to good use.
- Although now working in marketing he trained as an automotive engineer which he is hoping won’t come in handy when they are out in the dunes.
- It has come in useful though developing the new MMP car they will be racing in January.
- This will be his first Dakar as a competitor, though he’s raced a lot in Spain and Portugal. As a warm up for the Dakar he and Ricardo entered this year’s Rallye du Maroc and Nuno wasn’t disappointed by the experience. He particularly loved being out in the middle of nowhere. It’s something he indulges in regularly, making epic unassisted trips in his 4x4 in North Africa.
2025 AMBITIONS
R.P.: “Last year’s Dakar wasn’t too bad but not quite what we were hoping for either. We were fighting in the Top 5 for almost all the rally, which was our goal, but then we lost too much time on the last two days. For 2025 we have a new project with a new car that has showed great potential. I will also have my childhood friend as my co-driver. Dakar is Dakar but everything is aligned to allow us to achieve our goals.”
N.S.: I’m sorry the telephone reception isn’t so good, I’m out in the dunes in Morocco. I’ve come with 3 other cars -nothing to do with racing- my other passion is exploring. I’m here with my 70-year-old father and friends. When we were on the Rallye du Maroc in October I was surprised how far off the beaten track we went. And I’m thinking it will be even more the case in Saudi Arabia. I can’t wait to get to the Empty Quarter!”
