Ricardo Leal Dos Santos switched from riding a quad on the Dakar to racing in a car. He finished 14th overall and first privateer in the 2010 Dakar and completed the Rally of Morocco with the X-raid team in seventh place.

He is one of the most promising of the latest crop of competitors in the cross-country discipline and was the first Portuguese to finish the Dakar riding a quad in 2003. Dos Santos went on to claim victory in the Quads World Cup in 2005 and won the solo category at the 2006 Lisbon-Dakar Rally. The highlight of his Dakar career to date was driving an old Pajero with no assistance and twice competing with no co-driver.

Summary of his Rally Experience:

2011

• 4th Baja Portalegre 500
• 7th Dakar

2010

• 7th OiLibya Rally of Morocco
• 14th Dakar

2009

• 76th Dakar

2008

• 7th Transibérico Rally
• 26th Central Europe Rally

2007

• Winner of the Lisbon-Dakar Rally T1.1 Amateur Diesel group

2006

• Winner of the Solo Category at Lisbon-Dakar Rally / 44th overall

2005

• 5th place T1 Petrol category Barcelona-Dakar Rally / 70th overall
• Winner of the Quads World Cup

2004

• 2nd Baja Vodafone 1000 / T1 Auto category
• Winner Por Las Pampas Rally, Argentina / Quad

2003

• 1st Portuguese Pilot to finish the Dakar Rally riding a Quad
• 6th Paris-Dakar Rally / Quad

1998

• Winner U.A.E. Desert Challenge Rally / Quad