Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will make the leap to cars on the Dakar 2025

In the 2025 Dakar Rally, experienced drivers Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will compete in the car category, aiming to join the group of racers who have won the Dakar in both bikes and four-wheel vehicles. Both will be aboard a Toyota Hilux T1+ from Overdrive Racing, at the event that will take place from January 3 to 17 in Saudi Arabia.

The transition from bikes to cars

Toby Price, Dakar champion in 2016 and 2019, did not renew his contract with KTM for 2025, leading him to seek new opportunities in the car category. Sunderland, on the other hand, winner in 2017 and 2022, retired from bikes in August 2024. Together, they will form a team in an attempt to match Hubert Auriol, Stephane Peterhansel, and Nani Roma, who won in both disciplines.

Challenge with Overdrive Racing

Price and Sunderland shared their excitement about this new challenge on social media. According to Price, this opportunity arose after years of conversations during Dakar about how much easier it would be to drive a car instead of the demanding bikes. Sunderland, on his part, pointed out how far-fetched this possibility seemed a few years ago, but now they face this challenge seriously.

Both Price and Sunderland have shown interest in four-wheel vehicles in the past. Price, for example, has competed in off-road races like the SCORE International World Desert Championship, including the Baja 1000. Although they faced mechanical issues in 2023, the team has seen better results in 2024.

Toyota and the competition in the 2025 Dakar

Toyota has dominated recent Dakar editions, winning in 2022 and 2023 with Nasser Al-Attiyah. However, Price and Sunderland will not compete with the official Toyota Gazoo Racing team but with Overdrive Racing. The official team will be represented by Lucas Moraes and Seth Quintero, who have shown their potential in the recent Rallye du Maroc. Additionally, Carlos Sainz Sr, winner of the 2024 Dakar with Audi, will join the competition with Ford in this new edition, adding more depth to the field.

A new direction

This shift from bikes to cars marks a new stage in the careers of Price and Sunderland. After leaving KTM, Price has focused on off-road racing, while Sunderland, following his retirement from bikes, sees this as an opportunity to explore new horizons in motorsport. Both are aiming to remain competitive and prove their abilities in this discipline.