Dakar 2025: Team Changes and New Bets

The 2025 Dakar Rally, starting in Bisha and finishing in Shubaytah, gathers 63 vehicles registered in the Ultimate category. This edition sees three new models making their debut, promising an intense competition over 5,115 kilometers of special stages. Among the main contenders, Nasser Al Attiyah and Sébastien Loeb will drive the Dacia Sandrider; Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma will take the wheel of the Ford Raptor; while Guillaume de Mévius and Guerlain Chicherit will test a revamped Mini with a gasoline engine.

The Promise of New Models

The debut of vehicles specifically designed for this challenge has captured attention. Dacia, with its Sandrider model, demonstrated its potential in the Rally of Morocco, leading the classification with Al Attiyah and Loeb. Meanwhile, Ford is betting on its Raptor with a strong lineup that includes Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma, supported by Mattias Ekström and Mitch Guthrie. Additionally, the revamped Mini from X-Raid, equipped with a gasoline engine, showed its potential in October, led by Chicherit and De Mévius.

Although Dakar history shows that victories with completely new designs are rare, this year’s competition aims to challenge this trend.

The Consistency of the Toyota Hilux

In contrast to the debutants, the Toyota Hilux stands as a solid contender. Drivers like Yazeed Al Rajhi, Giniel De Villiers, and Lucas Moraes aim to maintain the dominance of this proven model over multiple editions. Additionally, Toyota has added new combinations to its team, such as the pairing of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland, along with emerging talents like Rokas Baciuška.

A Battle for the Top 10

Forty vehicles are poised to enter the top ten, emphasizing the competitiveness of this edition. Among them is Mathieu Serradori, who aims for a spot in the Top 5 with his Century CR7. Other hopefuls, such as Laia Sanz with her Century CR6, might also deliver surprises.