Martim Ventura: “I feel good, I'm riding well, I'm navigating well”

Dakar 2026 | Stage 2 | YANBU > ALULA
January 5 ^th 2026 - 13:27 [GMT + 3]

On his Dakar debut, Martim Ventura has claimed his first victory on stage two. The Portuguese rider beat Docherty by almost two minutes, closing the gap to the general rankings leader to 19 seconds and securing Honda's first win in the Rally 2 category. 

"I'm trying to be safe at the moment and improve. Today I pushed a bit more but I felt good on this long 400-kilometre stage. I have never done such a big stage before. It was a bit tough. At the beginning, it was a lot like Baja style, like in Portugal where I grew up, so it was super fun. I felt right at home in the beginning. But then it was a bit sandy and I need to improve in the sand, but I'm super happy. I’m living the dream here. I know my rhythm was good. I always knew that, but to be honest, I feel good, I'm riding safely, I'm navigating well, and I'm trying to be smart. Rallying isn't just physically demanding, it's also very mentally demanding”.