The Dakar Rally 2023 in Saudi Arabia was the best-ever campaign for the manufacturer, with an overall finish in the top 10, a stage podium and two stage wins. This was Hero MotoSport’s best-ever performance at the Dakar, with Sebastian Buhler finishing the last special in 6th place. Franco Caimi and Ross Branch finished the stage in 13th and 14th place, respectively.
The 2023 Dakar Rally was Ross Branch’s first Dakar with Hero MotoSports. He had suffered a crash in Stage 4 of the rally where he lost over hours with an empty fuel tank due to fuel injection issues. While Branch knew his chances for a good result in the overall standings was tough, the rider pushed hard and won two stages in three days. Had the mishap not occurred in Stage 4, Ross Branch would have been a contender for the top prize, with his four top 5 and three top 10 performances. Ross finished the Dakar in 16th place overall in the Rally GP Class.
It was Franco Caimi’s first Dakar with Hero MotoSports and the right from the start, Caimi finished in the top 10 positions five times. A crash in the last days of the rally caused constant pain in his leg, but his perseverance paid off, finishing in the 10th position overall. Sebastian Buhler, who returned to the Dakar after a year of recovering from an injury, and the young German claimed his first ever stage podium on the Dakar, this being his third Dakar with Hero MotoSports. Buhler also lost a few hours in stage 4 along with Ross Branch due to loss of fuel, but went on to improve his performance as he finished the Dakar 2023 in 14th place overall in the Rally GP Class. Joaquim ‘J-Rod’ Rodrigues started the season on a high note, finishing twice in the top 10, but an unfortunate crash in Stage 4 resulted in a broken femur, which led to his early exit from the race. J-Rod is currently recovering after a successful surgery.