The 2025 Dakar has laid its plans on the table. David Castera, the rally director, has unveiled details of the 47th edition, which will bring together rally raid champions and amateurs in Saudi Arabia for the sixth consecutive year. Between January 3 and 17, drivers will compete across a nearly 8,000-kilometer course, with 5,000 kilometers being timed. The journey will feature 12 stages, including a marathon stage, a challenging 48-hour time trial, and a trek through the Empty Quarter, which is expected to be pivotal before the final arrival in Shubaytah.
For the first time, the rally will feature five stages with independent routes for FIM and FIA categories. This separation aims to enhance safety and provide tailored challenges for each type of vehicle. This change means 45% of the timed sections will have different paths, making navigation a crucial factor. Additionally, the event will host 340 registered vehicles, led by Ross Branch and Nasser Al Attiyah, reigning world champions in the W2RC FIM and FIA categories, respectively.
2025 Route: A Tailored Challenge
The 2025 Dakar route is shaping up to be one of the toughest yet, maintaining a high level of difficulty between Bisha and Shubaytah. Detailed knowledge of the country has allowed organizers to design a complex challenge from start to finish, with only brief moments of respite for teams to catch their breath. The grueling 48-hour time trial will kick off early in the competition, followed by a marathon stage whose outcome could prove decisive for participants' aspirations. During the second week, Shubaytah will become the key destination following the arduous trek through the Empty Quarter’s sea of dunes.
The organizers have opted to split the special stage routes for over 45% of the total course to improve both safety and navigation complexity, particularly for FIA vehicles. Additionally, bivouacs will play a crucial role, serving as the sites for starts, finishes, and the final podium, which will take place on January 17 in Shubaytah.
Bisha Gathering
The establishment of a high-capacity bivouac in Bisha, capable of hosting all teams and participants, has solidified its status as an essential meeting point for the event. In 2025, Bisha, a city of 200,000 residents in southwestern Saudi Arabia, will welcome most competitors after they retrieve their vehicles at the port of Jeddah. In this city, technical and administrative checks will be conducted, along with the final preparations before embarking on the Dakar adventure.
Special Stages and the 48-Hour Time Trial
The 2024 Dakar rally introduced the innovative 48-hour time trial, a stage contested over two days requiring competitors to halt their engines at sunset and spend the night in minimalist desert camps. The 2025 edition brings back this challenge with an even longer and more varied route: 958 km for FIM vehicles and 971 km for FIA. With an intense pace from the third day, competitors will face a continuous challenge culminating in the marathon stage before the rest day in Ha’il.
The second week of the rally will be equally demanding, with independent routes for motorcycles and cars. This measure not only reduces overtaking risks in challenging conditions but also increases navigational demands on co-drivers, who will need to guide without clear references. The penultimate stage in the vast Empty Quarter will be critical, particularly in the grand loop around Shubaytah. The final day promises a classic mass start, taking competitors back to Shubaytah for a spectacular finish.
Saudi Next Gen: Boosting the Next Generation
The Saudi Next Gen program aims to promote emerging rally talent in Saudi Arabia. Among the selected drivers, the top-performing team will earn a spot to compete in the 2025 Rallye du Maroc and subsequently in the 2026 Dakar. The five chosen teams underwent a rigorous evaluation during the Baja Qassim, part of the Saudi off-road rally championship. In the 2025 Dakar, these teams will integrate into the rally, participate in training sessions with Edo Mossi, and compete with a Yamaha YXZ 1000 R SSV.
Dakar Classic and Mission 1000
Beyond the main race, the Dakar Classic will offer a platform for historic vehicles, featuring 76 cars and 19 trucks in a regularity challenge. Additionally, the Mission 1000 project will see five vehicles equipped with innovative technologies tackle the harsh conditions of the Saudi desert, testing new concepts that could reshape rally raid in the future.
Why is Kamaz not in the Dakar?
The absence of Kamaz in the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Dakar has impacted the truck category
Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will make the leap to cars on the Dakar 2025
The drivers will be looking for a new challenge in the car category after their success in motorcycles.
Mattias Ekström to compete with Ford in the Dakar 2025
Swedish driver joins Ford after leaving Audi
Audi and Mattias Ekström end partnership after 23 years
The Swedish driver bids farewell to Audi after a successful career in DTM, rallycross and Dakar.
