The Dacia Sandriders has completed its debut Dakar Rally with a flourish in Saudi Arabia today (Friday), as Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger set their fifth top-three stage time on an event ranked as international motorsport’s ultimate challenge.
Having made its competition debut by winning Rallye du Maroc last October, The Dacia Sandriders had set finishing the gruelling FIA World Rally-Raid Championship season opener as its key target. With two of its three sustainably-fuelled Dacia Sandrider cars crossing the finishing line in Shubaytah it was a case of mission accomplished.
The achievement was the culmination of an extraordinary team effort from The Dacia Sandriders, which took on and overcame myriad challenges on varied and hugely testing terrain over two punishing weeks of competition.
For a new team contesting such a demanding event for the first time, there were some setbacks along the 7828-kilometre route from the west to the east of Saudi Arabia. But despite the unrelenting task facing The Dacia Sandriders, plenty of vital experience was gained for upcoming events, while there were also several notable highlights.
Tincluded a stage win for Al-Attiyah and Boulanger, four top-10 stage times from Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno, plus some impressive performances by Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin.
Al-Attiyah, from Qatar, and Frenchman Boulanger fought valiantly for the final podium place before settling for fourth in the overall ranking to underline the pace and potential of the Dacia Sandrider.
Their stage victory on Tuesday (January 14) meant Al-Attiyah, a five-time Dakar Rally winner, became the only driver in the history of the event to clock a fastest stage time in 18 consecutive participations. Although Al-Attiyah remains one stage victory away from matching the record of 50 wins, held jointly by fellow Dakar Rally legends Stéphane Peterhansel and Ari Vatanen, he was second quickest on three stages.
KEY QUOTES
Tiphanie Isnard, Team Principal, The Dacia Sandriders : « First, I want to congratulate Yazeed Al-Rajhi, Timo Gottschalk, Toyota and Overdrive Racing for their victory. Yazeed has won his first Dakar at his 10th attempt in his home country, so this is fantastic for him. It’s also evidence that to win the Dakar takes time and experience. As a team we have learned a lot during our first Dakar, each kilometre we covered we were able to build as a team. There was always a great mindset and we improved a lot. There is a lot of emotion and a lot of feeling right now and I am really proud of the team because they work so hard. This Dakar was so demanding, but they always did everything perfectly and always with good humour and the right attitude. We are a great team together and now we start our preparations for our next event. »
Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar), Driver, The Dacia Sandriders : « The Dakar is not a small race, it’s a big race and sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days. Now we have a lot of experience, we will come back very strong next year and to win because I am here to win the Dakar. This time it was not really working but we believe in ourselves and our Dacia Sandrider that we can win next year, 100 per cent. The second year is always easier, but I will also try to defend my FIA World Rally-Raid Championship title this year, I have won it three times and I have some good points from this event. »
Cristina Gutierrez (Spain), Driver, The Dacia Sandriders : « It’s been a tough Dakar for us, the first time in the Ultimate class and the first time with The Dacia Sandriders. But I am so happy with what Pablo and me achieved and so pleased with the experience we gained. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of this adventure with The Dacia Sandriders and I can’t wait to put everything we have learned into practice on the next event we do. The Dakar is not easy and needed lots of hard work to get to the finish, not just by me and Pablo but also the entire team. They always supported us and were always there for us, so thank you to them. Now we’ll get some rest but we’ll never stop pushing. »
GUTIÉRREZ AND MORENO THE HEROES FOR THE DACIA SANDRIDERS
With their own chances of Dakar Rally success dashed by a power steering fault on Stage 2, Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno switched their focus to performing a crucial supporting role to their team-mates, regularly sacrificing their own prospects of climbing the leaderboard following their early delay.
That teamwork was particularly notable on Stage 4. Having helped Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger continue after their Dacia Sandrider suffered a suspension failure caused by the punishing terrain, Gutiérrez and Moreno came to the rescue again at the overnight halt in Al Ula following the completion of the first marathon stage.
With marathon stage rules preventing outside assistance apart from help provided by other competing crews, Moreno, a qualified mechanic, worked with The Dacia Sandriders’ T5 crew to swap the gearboxes of both cars ready for Stage 5.
Gutiérrez and Moreno had earlier helped Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin with spare parts and a replacement tyre following their roll on Stage 3 and also when an electrical issue struck Loeb and Lurquin’s Dacia Sandrider on Stage 2.
The Spaniards, who spent the remainder of the event shadowing Al-Attiyah and Boulanger through the stages in case further assistance was required, were presented with a signed toolbox by members of The Dacia Sandriders team at the finish of Stage 5 in recognition of their efforts.
But aside from their heroic teamwork, Gutiérrez and Moreno recorded several rapid stage times on their first Dakar Rally in the Ultimate category, including the fifth fastest of all on Stage 1 and the sixth best on Stage 10.
FUN WHILE IT LASTED FOR LOEB
Sébastien Loeb’s Dakar Rally challenge might have ended after three stages, but the Frenchman was still on impressive form for The Dacia Sandriders, running as high as second in the provisional order after 409 kilometres of the 967-kilometre 48H Chrono stage on 5 January.
But Loeb’s hopes unravelled when he and co-driver Fabian Lurquin were forced to stop for 40 minutes on Stage 2 due to an electrical issue. Their efforts to make up lost time on Stage 3 were undone when the Franco-Belgian pairing was unfortunate to roll at the 12-kilometre point.
Although they were uninjured in the high-speed incident thanks to the extensive safety features incorporated into the design of the Dacia Sandrider, the car suffered extensive damage to the extent they were unable to continue into the fourth stage.
« It was really frustrating to fly home instead of being in the car fighting out on the stages, » Loeb said. « We just got caught out by a bad compression, simple as that. These things happen, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. »
Loeb and Lurquin will be back in action for The Dacia Sandriders on round two of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, next month’s Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
THE DACIA SANDRIDERS: DAKAR RALLY KEY MOMENTS
Stage 1 (Saturday January 4): Gutiérrez/Moreno are fifth fastest. Loeb/Lurquin take a strategic approach to secure an advantageous road position for the 967-kilometre Stage 2 and go 22nd quickest. Al-Attiyah/Boulanger are delayed changing a damaged tyre and due to the failure of the tablet used for navigation and the on-stage Sentinel security system.
Stage 2 (Sunday January 5-Monday January 6): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger complete the 48H Chrono stage in third overall. Loeb/Lurquin hold second after 409 kilometres but are stationary for 40 minutes while an electronic issue is rectified. Gutiérrez/Moreno are unable to go beyond the 729-kilometre mark due to a power steering failure.
Stage 3 (Tuesday January 7): Loeb/Lurquin roll after 12 kilometres, they make it to the stage finish but damage to the roll cage of their Dacia Sandrider prevents them from continuing. Al-Attiyah/Boulanger move up to second place overall with the sixth quickest time. Gutiérrez/Moreno are 15th quickest following their restart, stopping in the stage to assist Loeb/Lurquin.
Stage 4 (Wednesday January 8): Starting Stage 4, the first marathon stage, in second position, Al-Attiyah/Boulanger are forced to stop after 97 kilometres to change a damaged left-rear tyre. A further stoppage following 118 kilometres of challenging terrain proves more extensive with the pair stationary for 26 minutes due to a suspension issue. It requires the assistance of Gutiérrez/Moreno for them to continue but they slip to seventh in the overall standings, 35m53s off the lead. Gutiérrez/Moreno set the 12th fastest time.
Stage 5 (Thursday January 9): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger charge through the 428-kilometre stage with the quickest time. But with a spare wheel missing from the #200 Dacia Sandrider after the supporting frame fails, a 10-minute penalty is applied, and they lose the stage win by one second. Nevertheless, they reach the rest day in fourth overall. Gutiérrez/Moreno continue to perform their exemplary supporting role and post the 14th fastest time of the day.
Stage 6 (Saturday January 11): The Dakar Rally resumes following Friday’ s Rest Day in Ha’il. Despite being hindered as the first crew to tackle the majority of the stage, Al-Attiyah/Boulanger go third quickest and close to within eight minutes of the final outright podium place having been 15 minutes adrift. Gutiérrez/Moreno go 18th quickest after they stop to replace a damaged tyre.
Stage 7 (Sunday January 12): An error in the digital road book at 158 kilometres leads to the times recorded during a 20-kilometre section being cancelled. While the issue was problematic for several crews, it was a source of particular frustration for Gutiérrez/Moreno. Having profited from the navigational mistakes made by a number of rivals they led the stage after 183 kilometres. But once the times were adjusted, they fell just short of emulating their event-best fifth-fastest time recorded on Stage 1, settling for seventh instead. Al-Attiyah/Boulanger are fourth quickest.
Stage 8 (Monday January 13): Al-Attiyah/Boulanger begin the final week of the Dakar Rally 11 minutes adrift of the final podium spot. By completing Stage 8 – a 488-kilometre charge from Al-Duwadimi to the capital Riyadh – in 5h03m11s, they narrow the deficit to 5m19s. Gutiérrez/Moreno register the 12th fastest time.
Stage 9 (Tuesday January 14): The Dacia Sandriders is a Dakar Rally stage winner for the first time following a charging effort by Al-Attiyah/Boulanger. As well as securing a maiden stage victory for The Dacia Sandriders, Al-Attiyah/Boulanger move to within 31 seconds of the overall podium. Al-Attiyah becomes the only driver in Dakar Rally history to have claimed a fastest stage time in 18 consecutive participations in the event. He also moves to within one stage win from matching the record of 50 wins held jointly by fellow Dakar Rally legends Stéphane Peterhansel and Ari Vatanen. Gutiérrez/Moreno clock the seventh fastest time after overcoming navigational issues.
Stage 10 (Wednesday January 15): It was a case of what might have been for The Dacia Sandriders after a navigational issue cause a significant time loss for Al-Attiyah/Boulanger, which is compounded when two key rivals are also delayed. Gutiérrez/Moreno continue to impress with the sixth best time.
Stage 11 (Thursday January 16): While reaching the finish remained the top priority, it didn’t stop Al-Attiyah/Boulanger and Gutiérrez/Moreno from once again demonstrating the pace and potential of the sustainably-fuelled Dacia Sandrider by going on a charge. Al-Attiyah/Boulanger complete the rally’s penultimate day in the sand dunes of Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter second quickest despite stopping to change two damaged tyres. Gutiérrez/Moreno are stationary for approximately 40 minutes in order to perform their crucial supporting role to Al-Attiyah/Boulanger.
Stage 12 (Friday January 17): Al-Attiyah and Boulanger give their all to finish the 2025 Dakar Rally with a second stage win but it’s second place at the end of the deciding 62 competitive kilometres for the #200 Dacia Sandrider crew and fourth in the overall ranking. Gutiérrez/Moreno finish the final stage of their first Dakar Rally competing in the Ultimate category with the 12th fastest stage time.
DAKAR RALLY PROVISIONAL STAGE 12 RESULTS
Shubaytah-Shubaytah, January 17
Stage distance: 62km / Liaison distance: 70km / Total distance: 132km
2nd: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), +1m33s
14th: Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)/Pablo Moreno (ESP), +6m16s
DAKAR RALLY PROVISIONAL OVERALL RESULTS AFTER STAGE 12
4th: Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Édouard Boulanger (FRA), +23m58s
41th: Cristina Gutiérrez (ESP)/Pablo Moreno (ESP), +38h44m31s
DAKAR RALLY: THE BIG NUMBER
7828: To reach the finish of the 2025 Dakar Rally, The Dacia Sandriders has crossed from the west to the east of Saudi Arabia – a distance of 7828 kilometres – between January 4 to January 17.
FIA WORLD RALLY-RAID CHAMPIONSHIP
Drivers / Navigators
3. Nasser Al-Attiyah / Édouard Boulanger – 48 points
20. Cristina Gutiérrez / Pablo Moreno – 6 points
28. Sébastien Loeb / Fabian Lurquin – 2 points
Manufacturers
3. The Dacia Sandriders – 98 points
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Dacia Sandriders continues its pursuit of success in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship continues when the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes place from February 21-27.
Linda Hirvonen,