They were 59 crews to start the 2025 Dakar in the top car category, the Ultimate. They were 48 to get to the finish line two weeks later. Out of the only three women drivers, Aliyyah Koloc was the fastest. Quite an achievement for the 20-year-old who not only overcame numerous technical issues but also outraced some of the more prominent names despite having a slower car with no turbo. She finished in 35th position in the Ultimate class.
Having had some time to reflect on and digest the 2025 Dakar, Aliyyah and Buggyra ZM Racing’s team principal Martin Koloc look back at two eventful weeks.
« It was difficult, » Aliyyah says. « Last year was difficult, but this year we had more issues. But we got some good results when we didn’t have any issues. We improved the car a lot since the last Dakar, so that helped us to be competitive. »
Buggyra ZM Racing’s CEO Martin Koloc agrees with his daughter: « It was a tough Dakar for everybody, not just for us. We have seen big names fail due to extreme conditions, the length of the stages, but it is how the Dakar should be. »
Keeping up with the big factory entries
The Dakar becomes increasingly competitive every year, with some of the biggest car manufacturers from around the world competing. As a private team with no factory backup, it is not always easy for Buggyra to keep up with the enormous resources those manufacturers have.
Martin Koloc explains: « Our current car is not fully competitive with the top. We are working on changing that, but it’s not easy to speed up the development. We suffered from a performance handicap because we are using a V8 engine, but there are restrictions due to the technical regulations. We have 100 horsepower less than Toyota, for instance, but even with less power, we have been reliable. We have to work hard to improve Aliyyah’s car as soon as possible because she’s becoming very fast and is able to fight with the top drivers. This makes me very happy. »
Steep learning curve
Aliyyah certainly has come a long way since 2023, and her first Dakar in the T3 category. Only a year later, she moved into the top car category, the Ultimate, with her Red-Lined REVO T1+. Her experienced navigator, 43-year-old Frenchman Sébastien Delaunay, has played a large part in that development. « Sébastien certainly helped me a lot last year, the first one in the T1+ car, because I didn’t have any experience and didn’t know what to do. This year, my second year in this car, I am more experienced, I have improved my driving. So Séb could focus more on his job instead of teaching me. We had our ups and downs this year, but we finished well! » Aliyyah explains.