Dacia Sandriders Gear Up for 2025 Dakar Rally and World-Rally Raid Championship
Last year, in its ongoing mission to redefine adventure driving, Dacia announced its participation in the 2025 Dakar Rally and the World-Rally Raid Championship (W2RC). With an impressive 1-2 finish at the Rallye du Maroc, a Dakar Rally dress rehearsal, the brand's teams are now poised to launch their title bid in the 2025 W2RC.
Dacia's contender, the Sandrider, is engineered to conquer the world's most challenging terrains. After months of rigorous testing, the Dacia Sandriders are set to face their next major challenge at the Dakar Rally, the pinnacle of motorsport adventure. The first round of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, taking place from 3 – 17 January, will put both drivers and vehicles through a gruelling test.
The rally spans dunes and rocky passes from the west to the east of Saudi Arabia. It tests speed, navigation, and endurance. Competitors must use GPS to navigate, overcoming formidable obstacles and extreme conditions.
Starting with the Prologue stage on 3 January, the 2025 Dakar Rally features 5,145 timed kilometres over 12 days of intense competition. From Bisha in the west to Shubaytah in the east, with a rest day in Hail and an overnight stop in Riyadh, the route includes a gruelling 971-kilometre 48h Chrono Stage.
Tiphanie Isnard, Dacia Sandriders' team principal, recognises the immense challenges ahead for the three-car team. Thanks to our intensive preparations, we are embarking on an extraordinary human challenge and equipped with the courage and belief needed to overcome it. Despite being winners at the Rallye du Maroc, we remain focused, knowing well that underestimating this formidable event could cost us dearly," she states.
Following their victory at the Rallye du Maroc, the Dacia Sandriders had less than a month to prepare their BFGoodrich-equipped Ultimate category cars for shipping to Saudi Arabia.
Philip Dunabin, Technical Director, detailed improvements to the sustainably fuelled Dacia Sandriders. Securing first and second places at the Rallye du Maroc confirmed our strong performance, prompting a focus on enhancing reliability. Thanks to collaborative efforts with Alpine Racing and fan manufacturers, we've made significant advances in addressing potential engine reliability issues and optimising engine cooling, “
Champion driver Nasser Al-Attiyah from Qatar is confident of victory. "Having won twice in Saudi Arabia, I am familiar with the challenges, but we must be prepared for the unexpected and manage risks wisely over the fortnight-long competition," he asserts.
Cristina Gutiérrez of Spain shares her enthusiasm. "After a year of immense growth and learning within the Ultimate category, our team is excited and confident about our prospects at Dakar," she remarks.
Sébastien Loeb of France adds, "We are geared up for the Dakar with a strategic focus on managing our race position to enhance our chances of winning. Our collective experience is our greatest strength, and we are fully committed to achieving top results."
The 2025 Dacia Sandriders team, which will cover 7,726 kilometres in the Dakar Rally, includes Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger, Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno, and Sébastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin. With 5,180 kilometres of racing against the clock, their journey promises to be as formidable as thrilling.
