Team Hero Motosports Team rally off
Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters - Hero MotoCorp, has kicked off its campaign at the fourth round of the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) – the Ultimate BP Rally Raid Portugal.
The team is participating in this rally with three of its factory riders: Ross Branch and Nacho Cornejo competing in the premier Rally GP category, and Tobias Ebster - the team’s latest recruit - in the Rally2 category.
The rally began on Tuesday with a short 5 km Prologue, where Branch crossed the finish line with the 8th fastest time. His teammates, Tobias Ebster and Nacho Cornejo completed the stage at 13th and 24th positions respectively. Tobias, the current Rally2 leader in the championship, recorded the 7th fastest time in his category.
Now in its second edition, Rally Raid Portugal has already earned the reputation as one of the most versatile and technically demanding events. The only European race on the W2RC calendar, it enjoys the distinction of being the “first and only cross-border race” in the championship. This year’s race spans nearly 2,400 km over five special stages, of which over 1,400 km will be timed - marking a 40% increase in distance compared to the previous edition.
Based out of Grândola, 120 km from Lisbon, the rally will challenge riders across a variety of terrains, including sand, stone, clay, mountains, fast dirt tracks, and technical winding sections, all set against the stunning Mediterranean landscapes. After spending 2 days in the Spanish Extremadura, the race will culminate in Lisbon, which will host the finish for the first time.
A total of 111 vehicles were cleared to start the rally following technical checks on Monday. Of these, 50 are FIM competitors, including 10 Rally GP and 28 Rally2 riders, and the remaining registered under the FIA category.
Wolfgang Fischer, Team Manager, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “After a long summer break, we are back for the penultimate round of the championship, and it’s great to be racing again. Following the South African Safari Rally, this European round across Portugal and Spain offers a completely different challenge. We’re grateful to everyone for their support, and look forward to a great week.”
Ross Branch, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “The Prologue today in Portugal - like always - was a great show. It was very encouraging to see tons of spectators and fans out here. The terrain was fast, so it was an awesome day on the bike. It was not the fastest ride for me, but it was comfortable and confident, which is exactly how I wanted to start the week.”
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “It wasn’t my best run today at the Prologue today – I made a few mistakes around the corners – but the bike feels really good, and that’s what matters most heading into the main stages.”
Tobias Ebster, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally: “The 5 km Prologue is behind us and I’d say it wasn’t too good, but not too bad either. The important thing is I came through clean, with no crashes, and I am happy with the bike and how everything is working.”
