JOÃO FERREIRA
(prt)Sponsors
PRF - Gas Solutions, Visite Leiria, X-Raid
2023: 37th T3
2023: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (10th T3) / Sonora Rally (7th T3) / Desafio Ruta 40
(14th T3) / Rallye du Maroc (1st T4). W2RC: 6th T3 / 7th T4
2022: Rallye du Maroc (ab.) / Andalucia Rally (ab.) / European Baja Champion
Record breakers
Not so long ago the profile of the average rally-raid car competitor was decidedly middle-aged. But that was before the explosion of the T3 and T4 categories turned all that on its head. Now these classes are heaving with young, super-fast talent like Portuguese youngster Joao Ferreira. Joao made his cross-country debut back in 2019 in the T2 production class before getting behind the wheel of a T1 Toyota Hilux in 2021. From there he migrated to an X-Raid Mini with which he won the 2022 European Baja championship by a slim margin at the very last round. For the 2023 Dakar Joao switch to the T3 class, entered aboard the X-Raid developed, Yamaha powered YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype SXS. With a brand new car they knew they were outsiders and mechanical issues effectively put paid to any chances of a category podiom. They did however break a record that delighted Yamaha – by winning a stage they allowed the Japanese manufacturer to be the first ever to win stages in both the car and bike categories! With the Portuguese crew switching from the T3 class to a South Racing Can-Am T4 for the Rallye du Maroc, in preparation for the 2024 Dakar, they also have the distinction of finishing 6th 2023 W2RC T3 and 7th 2023 W2RC T4!
J.F.: “Obviously the 2023 Dakar it didn’t go as we hoped, due to some mechanical problems, but we showed we could be competitive with the stage win and some additional stage podiums. And Yamaha were super happy… For the Rallye du Maroc we moved over to our 2024 Dakar car and team and won our class which is a good omen for January. However, as we all know, the Dakar is a very unpredictable race. There’s some tough competition and nobody will know how its going to go until the last day of the second week. I’ll let you know if we’re one of the favourites at the end of the first week…”
Vehicle
CAN-AM FACTORY TEAM
CAN-AM CAN-AM MAVERICK XRS TURBO
CAN AM FACTORY RACING TEAM
- Mark CAN-AM
- Model CAN-AM MAVERICK XRS TURBO
- Performance tuner South Racing
- Assistance South Racing
- Class T4: Modified Production SSV
Ranking 2024
All news of J. Ferreira
Dakar 2024: Brabec and Sainz, masters of the dunes
The 46th edition of the Dakar, the 5th to be organised in Saudi Arabia, has finished after more than 4,700 kilometres of specials and a total distance of almost 8,000 kilometres, which tested the riders, drivers, co-pilots and crews, from the ancient city of AlUla to the shores of the Red Sea, passing through the oceans of dunes in the Empty Quarter. The major winners of the 2024...
Van Beveren and Loeb go on all-out attack
FOCUS
The expedition back to AlUla has surely brought back some memories. However, it was not a return to square one, because the situation has evolved considerably since the prologue. The return journey spared the competitors from the volcanic rocks, instead opting for the northern route from Al Duwadimi, which nevertheless shared some common ground with the previous...
Ferreira leads the SSVs
Ferreira leads the SSVs João Ferreira, winner of stage 4, possessed the best time after 295 km before the competitors were obliged to stop the special at 4 pm local time. He has a lead of more than 2’40’’ over the two Polaris drivers on Sébastien Loeb’s Team SLR: Florent Vayssade and Xavier de Soultrait. Jérôme de...
Cornejo like a boss, Loeb back to winning ways
Focus
The thermometer only read five degrees in the early morning on leaving the tents at the bivouac in Al Salamiya to head towards the city of Al Hofuf, next to one of the country’s biggest oases, home to three million date palms. In between the two, the total distance to be covered measured almost 700 km, but the riders, drivers and crews “only” did...
Ferreira wins stage 4
João Ferreira has won the day’s stage in the SSV category in front of yesterday’s victor Yasir Seaidan. 2’48’’ separate the two Can-Am at the finishing line. Xavier de Soultrait has finished on the day’s podium behind the wheel of his Polaris. Following mechanical problems yesterday, he has got back on track today to achieve...
Dakar 2024 - Stage 4 | All the results
RALLY GP | NUMBER 2 FOR NACHO
Nacho Cornejo has literally flown through this special to Al-Hofuf. The Chilean has achieved the best time with a lead sufficient enough to avoid being leapfrogged by Kevin Benavides due to his 3’42’’ in bonuses. It is the Chilean’s eighth stage victory on the Dakar and the second on this edition (subject to any penalties...
Ferreira overtakes De Soultrait
167 km into the special, Xavier de Soultrait has handed over the stage lead to João Ferreira, now driving a Can-Am after earning Yamaha its first win in the car race last season. The Portuguese is still in control at the next time check, with just over a minute to spare on his French rival competing for Polaris.
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