It’s time to buckle up and head back to the desert for the 2025 Dakar Rally. Leading the charge for glory on the dunes is a revamped Red Bull Desert Wings squad packed with off-road talent. From legendary champions such as Carlos Sainz to the rookies of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team, the 47th Dakar Rally promises pulsating action all the way!
Racing starts on January 3 with a Prologue Stage in Bisha. Then come 12 desert stages spread over a fortnight, covering close to 8,000 kilometres in total. The route of the 2025 Dakar Rally includes the traditional marathon stage in addition to the 48h chrono, plus a three-day adventure in the Empty Quarter Desert before the race wraps up on January 17. The Dakar Rally remains motorsports’s ultimate test of driving skill and racing hardware, including the latest evolution of BFGoodrich tires.
Let’s take our annual deep dive into the Dakar Rally bivouac and get to know the Red Bull Desert Wings racers gearing up for the challenge of a lifetime!
Ultimate Class
Reigning Ultimate class champion Carlos Sainz heads back to Saudi Arabia to defend his title behind the wheel of the all-new Ford Raptor T1+. The 62-year-old Spaniard has vowed to « use all my experience to guide this new team » as he chases a fifth Dakar win with a fifth different manufacturer. Once again, Sainz will be joined by four-time Dakar-winning co-driver Lucas Cruz.
« I’m really excited to be driving the Raptor truck and to approach this big challenge with a lot of goals. One [goal] is to help Ford win the Dakar Rally. » – Carlos Sainz
Mitch Guthrie Jr. has also been given the keys to a V-8-powered Ford Raptor T1+ to race the next Dakar. The Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team graduate gets his shot at the Dakar’s elite car race after impressing in the Challenger class, including a runners-up result last time out. Guthrie Jr. will race alongside co-driver Kellon Walch in an all-American crew representing Ford M-Sport.
Sweden’s Mattias Ekström joins Sainz in switching from Team Audi Sport to Ford M-Sport for this latest trip to Saudi Arabia. Former World Rallycross and DTM champion Ekström has proven his speed in the dunes with stage wins on his previous attempts at the Dakar’s Ultimate class. Ekström will have fellow Swede Emil Bergkvist reading the roadbook.
Completing Ford M-Sport’s driver line-up is Nani Roma, a former Dakar winner on two and four wheels. Roma adds a wealth of experience and a winning mentality to Ford’s Raptor T1+ package. Roma’s compatriot Alex Haro will co-drive. The Spanish duo’s best result together was a runner-up finish at the last South American Dakar.
Also bringing a brand-new car to the Dakar bivouac in 2025 are Dacia, with their own formidable line-up of drivers. Leading the charge for Dacia at the 12-stage rally is sand racing specialist Nasser Al-Attiyah, a five-time Dakar winner. Al-Attiyah and co-driver Edouard Boulanger warmed up for the Dakar with victory at the Rallye du Maroc on their debut drive for Dacia.
« We couldn’t ask for better than victory in our first race with Dacia. We’ve continued the development of the Sandrider to arrive at the Dakar in top shape. » – Nasser Al-Attiyah
There’s a promotion from the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team to the Dacia Sandriders for Cristina Gutiérrez. The Spaniard became the Dakar’s second-ever female winner when she took first place in the Challenger category last time out. Cristina now returns to the elite car division as a Dakar champion and winner of the FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies in the Challenger class. Fellow Spaniard Pablo Moreno will ride shotgun.
Completing Dacia’s stellar line-up of drivers is nine-time WRC winner Sébastien Loeb. The Frenchman is chasing an elusive Dakar win following three runner-up results and a further pair of third-place finishes. Loeb takes charge of his own V6 twin-turbo, direct injection Dacia Sandrider with Fabian Lurquin giving out the pacenotes.
22-year-old Seth Quintero gets a second outing in the Ultimate class with Toyota Gazoo Racing. The American made history at the 2022 Dakar by winning 12 of the 13 stages in the Challenger class. These days, it’s an overall win in the Dakar’s premier car class that’s the target for the Californian. Quintero will be joined in his Toyota GR DKR Hilux by co-driver Dennis Zenz as the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team graduates take on their fifth Dakar together.
« Every year it’s been a learning curve and we’ve had a lot of curveballs thrown at us. Every year there’s been a lot of drama so I’m just hoping for a clean year. » – Seth Quintero
Also on a mission to return Toyota Gazoo Racing to winning ways at the Dakar is Lucas Moraes. The Brazilian scored a third-place finish on his Dakar debut and was rewarded with an invitation to drive the Hilux with its 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engine. The three-time Rally dos Sertões winner will race in Saudi Arabia with co-driver Armand Monleon.
Adding essential experience to the Toyota Gazoo Racing line-up is Giniel de Villiers. The South African has a total of seven podium finishes at the Dakar. For the latest trip to the desert De Villiers links up with co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz as the winning duo from the 2009 Dakar Rally are reunited.
Former Dakar bike race winners Toby Price and Sam Sunderland have teamed up to race a Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ in the Ultimate class. Price will drive, while fellow two-time Dakar champion Sunderland will be his co-driver. Price has won the Finke Desert Race on four wheels in his native Australia, while Sunderland’s navigation skills have been proven time and time again at the Dakar in the bike race.
Rokas Baciuška is also set to make his Ultimate class debut at the upcoming Dakar. The Lithuanian has scored three Dakar podiums in the lightweight divisions as well as three consecutive World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) crowns in recent seasons. 25-year-old Baciuška takes on the next Dakar in a Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ with Oriol Mena taking over co-driving duties from the injured Oriol Vidal.
Laia Sanz is out to maintain her impressive feat of finishing all 15 editions of the Dakar that she has entered. The Spaniard was the Dakar’s fastest female on two wheels for an incredible 11 consecutive years. Then came the switch to four wheels, and last time out, she clocked her best-ever Ultimate class finish of 15th overall. Joining Sanz in her Century CR6-T racing car will be co-driver Maurizio Gerini.
« The objective is to enjoy the rally. If we’re enjoying the rally, it means we’re keeping a good pace. » – Laia Sanz
Guillaume De Mévius steered a Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ to second place in the Ultimate class last time out. Now, the Belgian has joined up with X-raid to drive their new MINI JCW Rally. De Mévius is the fourth Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver to have progressed to the Ultimate class, and he rides with four-time Dakar-winning co-driver Mathieu Baumel.
Challenger Class
Saudi Arabian driver Dania Akeel knows the deserts of the Dakar better than most. The local favourite scored an outstanding Top 10 finish on her Dakar debut in the Challenger class. Since then she’s raised her own expectations; impressing during the W2RC season and winning the 2024 FIA Middle East Baja Cup. Akeel has ambitions to race in the Dakar’s Ultimate class, but for now, she has unfinished business in the Challenger race alongside co-driver Stéphane Duple.
« Saudi Arabia is a great location for the Dakar because the terrain is so diverse. You’ve got sand, rocks, gravel and dunes. A full mix of terrain for you to sharpen your skills. » – Dania Akeel
Among the fresh intake of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team for the next Dakar is Corbin Leaverton. The American racer follows in the footsteps of Quintero and Guthrie Jr. as he swaps the sand dunes of Southern California for the deserts of Saudi Arabia. 23-year-old Leaverton gets his shot at the Challenger class in a Taurus T3 Max with co-driver Taye Perry.
The second new recruit to race their debut Dakar with the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team is Portuguese speedster Gonçalo Guerreiro. This 24-year-old has built a fearsome reputation in his homeland, helped by victory in the SSV class at the 2022 Portuguese Cross-Country Championship, plus three Baja Portalegre 500 wins. Now it’s time to jump in a Taurus T3 Max and carry on the adventure at the Dakar with co-driver Cadu Sachs.
Pau Navarro made his Dakar debut as a co-driver in the Truck category. He first drove the Dakar in 2023 and finished 9th in the SSV class. Last time out he was at the controls of a MINI T1+ in the Ultimate class. For Navarro’s fifth attempt at the Dakar he will race a Taurus T3 Max in the Challenger class alongside co-driver Lisandro Sisterna.
SSV Class
Francisco ‘Chaleco’ López was a headliner in the days of the Dakar in South America. Now, with three titles across the Challenger and SSV categories to his name, he feels right at home in the desert. Chaleco returns to the dunes in 2025, aiming for even more success in the SSV class driving Can-Am’s Maverick R machine alongside co-driver Juan Pablo Latrach.
Bike Class
Two-time Bike race winner Kevin Benavides is set to spearhead the charge of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing in Saudi Arabia. The Argentinian biker has spent the second half of 2024 recovering from injury and is doing all he can to bring his KTM 450 Rally to the start line in Bisha. In 2023, Kevin Benavides delivered KTM their first Dakar win since the rally’s relocation to the Middle East.
Joining his older brother Kevin in the ranks of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing is Luciano Benavides. Luciano’s career highlight so far was his W2RC title in 2023 and his best result at the Dakar is sixth place overall. Luciano Benavides has been recalled by KTM after three successful years racing with Husqvarna.
After Daniel Sanders grew up on an apple farm in rural Australia, it was at the International Six Days Enduro that his racing career really started to bear fruit. After helping Team Australia to the ISDE’s World Trophy, he got the chance to ride his first Dakar Rally. A blistering start to his Dakar career saw Sanders place as best rookie on his debut. Now he’s chasing down the win with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing following a confidence boosting victory in Morocco.
« I’m super-pumped to be back on form with a win at Rallye du Maroc and showing good speed ahead of Dakar. » – Daniel Sanders
19-year-old Edgar Canet is one of the world’s most promising young talents on two wheels. He’s being mentored by fellow Catalan Nani Roma and will race his first Dakar with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Impressive performances at W2RC races in Portugal, Argentina and Morocco have set Edgar up for his rookie ride in Saudi Arabia in the Rally2 class.
« When Egdar reached out to say that he wanted to do the Dakar Rally my advice was don’t do it. Better to wait a few more years. As we can now see he completely ignored that advice! We saw him show up at W2RC races and I must say he proved me wrong. He has demonstrated that he’s ready for the Dakar Rally. » – Jordi Viladoms, Rally Sport Manager for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
Harith Noah has experienced the entire rollercoaster of emotions that the Dakar has to offer. At the 2023 Dakar, the Indian rider crashed on Stage 4 and suffered a fractured vertebra. Harith returned to the Dakar 12 months later and won the Rally2 contest, a hotly contested prize between up-and-coming riders. Now, the Sherco TVS Rally Factory rider has his sights set even higher.
Mohammed Balooshi continues to excel in elite off-road races and is the current FIM Bajas World Cup champion. As well as competing around the world, Balooshi trains the next generation of riders, having set up his own MX academy in the UAE. He’s heading back to Saudi Arabia to race the Dakar Rally in 2025, having reached the finish line on four of his previous six attempts at the world’s toughest race.
The Dakar Rally’ sixth edition in Saudi Arabia gets started on January 3 with thrills and spills to come as the convoy races towards the January 17 finish line. Close to 8,000 kilometres spread across 12 timed special stages start from Bisha and conclude in the heart of the Empty Quarter Desert. The toughest rally on the planet is about to show us once again how it built its infamous reputation.
QUOTES
Carlos Sainz: « At this stage of my career I look for projects that give me motivation and enjoyment. I found both of these basic principles when I studied the Ford project. I’m really excited to be driving the Raptor truck and to approach this big challenge with a lot of goals. One (goal) is to help Ford win the Dakar. »
Mitch Guthrie Jr.: « Ford is such a well-known brand and synonymous with the United States. To now be in the T1+ category, driving for Ford… it’s a dream come true for me. I can’t wait to race against the best of the best. »
Mattias Ekström: « Ford and M-Sport have built a vehicle that looks, sounds and drives awesome. We all have a common ambition to win the Dakar Rally. »
Nani Roma: « I’m a passionate guy and everything that I do, I try to do my very best. When you add passion to hard work you can achieve something special. »
Nasser Al-Attiyah: « We couldn’t ask for better than victory in our first race. We’ve continued the development of the Sandrider to arrive at the Dakar in top shape. »
Cristina Gutiérrez: « I’m making the jump to the big cars with Dacia. It means fulfilling a dream and having an opportunity to establish myself in the discipline. »
Sébastien Loeb: « I’ve already had many podium finishes and it would be great to get onto the top step. Hopefully my Dakar win will come with Dacia. »
Lucas Moraes: « To win this Dakar you’ll need your A-game for two weeks. The toughest thing is to control your emotions, the Dakar really is a mind game. »
Giniel de Villiers: « I’m very excited to be back and happy to be reunited with Dirk. It’s a great reunion with the co-driver with whom I won the rally. »
Rokas Baciuška: « It’s maybe the highest quality field in Dakar history, so it won’t be easy. It’s going to be interesting with all the young guys coming in as well. »
Laia Sanz: « The objective is to enjoy the rally. If we’re enjoying the rally, it means we’re keeping a good pace. »
Guillaume De Mévius: « My objective is to win the Dakar in the next three years. The X-raid team has won the Dakar six times and I like the way they work. »
Dania Akeel: « Saudi Arabia is a great location for the Dakar because the terrain is so diverse. You’ve got sand, rocks, gravel and dunes, a full mix of terrain. »
Pau Navarro: « Fortunately, the BBR team called me and we were able to reach an agreement. [BBR have] the best car in the category and I’m excited to race it. »
Corbin Leaverton: « To see Seth and Mitch do well in the Challenger class has been cool. Now both have gone on to race the Dakar in the Ultimate class. »
Gonçalo Guerreiro: « I think there are two reasons why we all love the Dakar, because it’s a challenge and an adventure. My goal is to be the champion one day. »
Francisco ‘Chaleco’ López: « We raced our vehicle in Morocco with the aim of arriving in the best possible shape for the Dakar. »
Kevin Benavides: « Ahead of Dakar I don’t have many expectations because I like to surprise myself every day, but the fight to win is now greater than ever. »
Luciano Benavides: « Heading into the 2025 Dakar, I feel great and have put so much work in both mentally and physically to be up for it. »
Daniel Sanders: « I’m super-pumped to be back on form with a win at Rallye du Maroc and showing good speed ahead of Dakar. »
Edgar Canet: « It’s my rookie year at the Dakar Rally. It’s a time to learn without feeling too much pressure on me. »
Jordi Viladoms: « When Egdar reached out to say that he wanted to do the Dakar Rally my advice was don’t do it. Better to wait a few more years. As we can now see he completely ignored that advice! We saw him show up at W2RC races and I must say he proved me wrong. He’s demonstrated that he’s ready for the Dakar. »
Harith Noah: « I want to stick to Rally2 just to build more confidence. It doesn’t change anything for me, I just want ride every day as fast as I can. »
Mohammed Balooshi: « It was an incredible feeling to win my third Baja World Cup title. I’m grateful to everyone who supported me and made it possible. »
Christine Fial,