“Getting the factory drive is a dream come true”
Crew facts
J.M.
- Joao and Nuno’s Dakar debut in 2024 went better than expected. They were aiming low for a finish but came away with ‘Best Rookie’ in the Challenger category.
- In 2025 they had a disastrous 4th stage that saw them out of the running for overall honours. After that they were running with a top 3 pace, but given their place in the rankings, stopped to help their teammates which further impacted on their final finishing position.
- However their dedication to the cause and all the testing they have done has been rewarded with a place in the factory team. A dream come true for Joao.
- In ‘real life’ Joao has a multi-marque car dealership and is married with a young son.
N.M.
- Like many rally raid navigators, Nuno started out racing motorcycles. And also like many motorcycle racers, a big crash saw him switch to SSVs. “With age comes a cage,” as they say.
- However, unlike many ex-motorcycle racers, Nuno actually prefers SSVs and really likes the whole science of navigating. His wife and two children also prefer him racing in SSVs – though for different reasons!
- 2026 will be Nuno’s third Dakar and always as co-driver for his friend Joao Monteiro. In 2024 they were best rookie in the Challenger category. In 2025 they had a disastrous stage 4 but then steadily improved to finish 7th in class overall. They are naturally hoping to do better than that in 2026.
- In his spare time Nuno swims to stay fit and also likes to trace old road books onto Google Earth, though with rallies now using tablets that’s becoming more complicated.
- Away from rallies works he at a hospital taking care of logistics.
Ambition
J.M.: “The car was new for the last Dakar and we had some electrical issues early on that cost us a lot of time. After that our speed was good but we ended up supporting our teammates, Chaleco for example. Still we learnt a lot. 2026 will be a new chapter for us as part of the factory team. It is a dream come true for me. I never imagined I would find myself in this situation but I won’t let the pressure get to me. I have experienced that before in the national championships and pressure is not your best friend if you want a good result. The important thing is to enjoy yourself and if you do that then the result will come. Much harder than any pressure will be being separated from my son Afonso. I intend to make him proud.”
N M: “I like a simple life. I go to work and I come home to my wife and children. I love racing and navigation; they're an escape from work stress. Aside from the Dakar, the Rally dos Sertoes is one of my favourite races.”
