2025 Dakar Rally: What to expect from Indians at the 2025 Dakar Rally
Here’s a lowdown on what to expect from the Indian riders and teams at the 2025 Dakar Rally
Here’s a lowdown on what to expect from the Indian riders and teams at the 2025 Dakar Rally
The 47th edition of the Dakar Rally will be held from January 3 to January 17 in Saudi Arabia, and this year’s rally features a 7700km route. The Dakar Rally has always been considered as one of the most gruelling tests of both man and machine, and this year’s edition will be even tougher, with the opening week featuring both 48-Hour Chrono and Marathon stages. The 48-Hour Chrono stage, first introduced this year, requires competitors to stop at the closest rest area at sunset and survive on their own in secluded areas in the middle of the desert. The competitors who make it through this will then move on to the Marathon stages, with no help from support vehicles or mechanics. India will be represented by four racers at the rally, while Hero MotoSports returns as the only Indian team at the event, following their second-place finish at the 2024 Dakar Rally.
Hero MotoSports is the only Indian team at the 2025 Dakar RallyHero MotoSports
In 2024, Hero MotoSports became the first Indian team to score a podium finish at the Dakar, thanks to Ross Branch’s second place finish. Branch also went on to win the 2024 World Rally Raid Championship. The Indian team will have three riders taking part in the premier Rally GP class. Branch returns for his third Dakar Rally with Hero and his bike will proudly wear the number 1 sticker owing to his W2RC 2024 championship victory. Branch will be joined by Sebastian Buhler and Jose ‘Nacho’ Cornejo.
2025 is set to be Harith Noah's sixth Dakar Rally outingHarith Noah
TVS-backed racer Harith Noah was victorious at the 2024 Dakar Rally with his win in the Rally 2 class, and 2025 is set to be his sixth Dakar Rally outing. The Indian continues to race for the Sherco factory team in the Rally 2 class.
Ashish Raorane will be competing in the 2025 Dakar Rally racing in the Rally 2 classAshish Raorane
Ashish Raorane started his racing career at the age of 35 and just six years later, he became the first Indian privateer in the Malle Moto (now called ‘Original by Motul’) category, competing without any assistance. He crashed on Day 5, thus ending his Dakar outing, but he returned in 2024, racing for team Xraids Experience. The 2024 outing ended on Stage 1 itself after he crashed with a broken collarbone. However the rider is determined and will be returning to the 2025 Dakar Rally, racing in the Rally 2 class.
This will be Jatin Jain's debut at the Dakar RallyJatin Jain
This will be Jain’s debut at the Dakar Rally, even though he started racing in India over 20 years ago, taking victories in the INRC and the Raid De Himalaya. After gaining experience in international cross-country rallies like the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Mexico’s Sonora Rally and Argentina’s Desafio Ruta 40, he’s now set to take on the challenge of the Dakar Rally.
Sanjay Takale will be the first Indian to compete in a Dakar four-wheeler categorySanjay Takale
Sanjay Takale has collected more than 75 wins in India with a racing career that has spanned over three decades, including the APRC’s Production Cup in 2013. He is now the first Indian to compete in a Dakar four-wheeler category, in the Dakar Classic Class, with support from French team Compagnie Saharienne. The Dakar Classic class features vehicles manufactured before 2005, and competitors run on a separate route, better suited to the vehicles. And unlike the other classes, where the goal is to complete each stage with the fastest time, Dakar Classic follows a TSD format, where the goal is to complete each stage in a specified time and at a specified average speed.
The Dakar Rally’s action will be hotting up from tomorrow, January 3 – stay tuned to our Instagram and this space for more updates!
