The Dakar 2025 kicks off this week!

A demanding course from the very first kilometers

Saudi Arabia is preparing to host the Dakar for the sixth time in its history. With nearly 8,000 kilometers to cover, including 5,000 of special stages from the city of Bisha in the southwest of the country to Shubaytah in the southeast, competitors will be awed by the dunes and rocky canyons. However, they won’t have time for sightseeing as the 48-hour timed section will take place starting from the second stage.

This new feature introduced last year is a stage spread over two days during which competitors must stop their efforts at the end of the first day and resume only the next day at sunrise after a night under the stars. Six rest areas will be distributed along the special stage. Crews will have a tent, a sleeping bag, and a food ration. They will not be able to receive outside help or communicate with their teams. The organization wanted to recapture the adventurous spirit of the early Dakar here.

The Dakar caravan will then leave the Bisha region to head north towards the city of Al Henakiyah, the starting point of the marathon stage, without assistance, which will lead competitors to Hail where they can finally recover from this first hellish week of the rally.

For the second week, the organizers have planned a route just as demanding as the first, with a significant focus on navigation. The rally will pass through the capital Riyadh before entering the Empty Quarter and its gigantic sand dunes. Even though the stages are shorter towards the end of the rally, there will be many traps, and the rankings could change until the final kilometers of this Dakar.

Focus on the main competitors in the auto category

Before discussing the favorites for the final victory, a notable absence must be mentioned. For the first time since 1987, Stéphane Peterhansel will not be at the start of the Dakar. The record holder for victories in motorcycles (6) and cars (8) announced in late November his desire to take a break, while leaving the door open for a possible return.

Ford M-Sport

Even without the man from Vesoul, the 2025 edition of the Dakar boasts a strong lineup with the titleholder and four-time winner, Carlos Sainz, as the headliner. The father of the Williams F1 driver is the only one to have won the event with four different constructors (Volkswagen in 2010, Peugeot in 2018, Mini in 2020, Audi in 2024). At 62, his goal will be to win a fifth Dakar, this time with Ford, whose Raptor will make its debut at the Dakar.

Ford M-Sport will also field Mattias Ekström, also a transfer from Audi, and Nani Roma. Already present at the Dakar with the British team in 2024, the winner of the 2004 edition in motorcycle and 2014 in car will be able to rely on his immense Dakar experience to return to the podium, which has eluded him since 2019.

*Dacia*

Another manufacturer that will attract attention on the Saudi tracks is Dacia. The Romanian manufacturer will make its grand debut in the Dakar and has given itself every chance to be among the favorites from the 2025 edition. Partnered with Prodrive, which developed the Sandrider buggy, Dacia is counting on its dream teams to shine. With Nasser Al-Attiyah/Edouard Boulanger on one side and Sébastien Loeb/Fabian Lurquin on the other, along with the promising Cristina Gutierrez/Pablo Moreno, Dacia has all the assets to make its rivals tremble.

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Constructor present for many years in the Dakar, Toyota will aim to return to the top, once again relying on the youth of its crews. Brazilian Lucas Moraes, third in 2023, and the very young American Seth Quintero will be the spearheads of the Japanese manufacturer’s official team. They will be able to count on the great experience of Giniel de Villiers, whose consistency has impressed since his victory in the 2009 edition. Finally, Toyota records the return of the hopeful Henk Lategan, who was absent a year ago.

Overdrive Racing

The Belgian team Overdrive will once again field several Toyotas in Saudi Arabia, with Yazeed Al Rajhi as the headliner. The Saudi driver, who finished on the podium in 2022, had to retire last year despite winning three stages. An interesting aspect of this edition is the crew 231 Toby Price/Sam Sunderland, composed of two former double winners on motorcycles. The Australian-British duo will aim to follow in the footsteps of Hubert Auriol, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Nani Roma, who were first crowned on motorcycles and then in cars.

X-Raid Mini

After rather inconspicuous performances in 2024, Mini welcomes two strong crews. With the Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit and the Belgian Guillaume de Mevius, a true revelation last year with his second-place finish, the German team aims to regain its former glory, having won six Dakar rallies between 2012 and 2021.

List of the main favorites for victory in the 2025 Dakar