Rally Raid
Each year, the Dakar Rally, the world's toughest test of motorsport endurance, pits the world's best rally raid competitors against the unforgiving Saudi Arabian desert for two weeks. Find out more.
In the world of motorsports, each New Year stats with the roar of engines warming up for the start of the world's toughest motor race – the Dakar Rally. For nearly 50 years, the biggest and hardest rally raid on the planet, has kicked-off in the very first days of January – first in the deserts of north Africa, then the wilds of South America and now in the vast sands of Saudi Arabia. The two-week desert odyssey takes an intrepid convoy of rally racers across dunes, mountains, dry riverbeds and Saudi Arabia’s giant Empty Quarter desert in a race that's world renowned for it's physical, mental and mechanical toughness. Get into gear for this unique racing adventure with our guide to the Dakar Rally.
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Dakar: Race Against the Desert documentary
Universal Pictures, Red Bull Studios and The Red Ceiling Production have joined forces to create Dakar: Race Against the Desert, a new documentary directed by Jalil Lespert that offers an in-depth look at the 2024 Dakar Rally. The film follows key figures in the race, including Nasser Al-Attiyah, who aims for a third consecutive victory, his Prodrive team-mate Sébastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz, who ultimately claimed the win. Through on-the-ground footage and behind-the-scenes access, the documentary captures the physical and mental demands of the rally across unforgiving terrain.
It will be available to rent and purchase starting May 12 on all major streaming platforms.
02
What is the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is an endurance rally going cross-country in all-terrain vehicles. Part adventure, part long-distance race, the Dakar works by competitors driving on public roads to the start of each day’s timed special stage. Once on the stage they must then follow an off-road course through waypoints to the finish line. The competitors have to be quick, versatile and super-fit. They drive their vehicles distances of up to 1,000km per day over punishingly rough ground where punctures and breakdowns are extremely common. Solid mechanical knowledge is a big advantage at the Dakar and a tool kit is essential.
The racers must be able to scan the track in front of them for obstacles while travelling at speeds of up to 170kph. The rally takes the convoy across a variety of terrains, from sand dunes to rocky valleys, mountains and even marshes. Plus, competitors must navigate from checkpoint to checkpoint using a GPS and their roadbook or else risk losing time and facing penalties. However, maybe getting lost is all part of the fun!
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Where is the Dakar Rally held?
The Dakar Rally has been hosted by Saudi Arabia since 2020 and the 2025 edition the 47th in the race's history, delivered one of the toughest in recent memory. The 7,700km route fhad it all – massive sand dunes, a 48-hour Chrono Stage measuring over 1,000km, plus a full fortnight of further twists and turns.
It all started with a high-speed 29km Prologue Stage in Bisha, then it was straight into the thick of the action with both the 48-hour Chrono Stage and the Marathon Stage coming in the first week of the rally as the route moved north to the canyons of AlUla. Competitors who made it past all of these obstacles got a well-earned Rest Day in Hail.
All roads then led to the Empty Quarter desert during the 2025 Dakar Rally's second week. After stops in Al Duwadimi, Riyadh and Haradh it was among Saudi Arabia’s most formidable sand dunes that this latest edition of the rally was ultimately won and lost. However, anyone who reached the finish line of this latest Dakar Rally can consider themselves a true champion of the desert.
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Who competed in the 2025 Dakar Rally?
The Dakar attracts the best off-road talent and the 2025 edition of the rally hosted was no exception. Dakar Rally royalty like Carlos Sainz, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Toby Price, Nani Roma and more returned to fight it out on the dunes, with the debut of both Ford and Dacia in the race's Car class adding to the excitement and intrigue.
In a race full of action and surprises, Toyota privateer and local hero Yazeed Al Rajhi of Saudi Arabia pulled off a surprise Ultimate class win. He held off the challenge of South Africa's Henk Lategan over the latter stages, while Sweden's Mattias Ekström gave Ford M-Sport a podium finish on their Dakar debut.
In the Bike class, Australian Daniel Sanders dominated the race, leading the standings from the prologue stage all the way to the finish line – the first time in 16 years that particular feat has been achieved – while 20-year-old rookie sensation Edgar Canet topped the non-factory Rally2 class and finished an incredible eighth overall in the Bikes.
05
How did the Dakar Rally start?
The Dakar Rally began as the Paris-Dakar Rally, which was first formally run in 1979 and featured competitors racing from Paris, France, through Spain to Morocco and deep into the Sahara desert before finishing in Dakar, Senegal. It was the vision of legendary adventurer Thierry Sabine, who took part in a race from Abidjan on the Cote d’Ivoire to Nice in France. While lost in the Sahara, he hit on the idea of how a long-distance off-road race could be the ultimate test of speed, endurance, determination and navigational skill.
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What are the rules of the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is governed by the rules of the FIA Word Rally-Raid Championship. Competitors drive for thousands of kilometres on public roads to reach the start line of each off-road special stage. Each competitor’s starting position is usually determined by their result on the previous day’s special. Failure to reach the start on time incurs a time penalty.
The specific course is kept secret until the start of each stage, when the roadbook is handed out to the competitors. While the competitors have GPS, the roadbook is the only source for specific waypoints and hazards along the route. It’s off-road racing against the clock to complete the stages in the quickest time possible – navigating unfamiliar and treacherous terrain to reach the waypoints without getting lost. Once the stage is finished, the convoy travels by public roads to the next bivouac – a huge mobile service park with mechanics, catering, hot showers and motorhomes near a host city. During the two-day marathon stages, competitors camp out in the desert, without any support vehicles or mechanics. Under marathon stage rules, only competitors can work on the vehicles.
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How do competitors navigate the Dakar Rally?
Competitors must follow a roadbook that sets out the route, the waypoints, and the distances, with illustrations of obstacles along the way and possible hazards. Competitors use GPS and can follow in the wheel treads of their rivals unless they find themselves ‘opening the road’. Experienced competitors make their own meticulous notes on the roadbook and follow it through every twist and turn of each stage.
08
What different vehicles categories race the Dakar Rally?
Over 800 competitors will battle it out at the 2025 Dakar Rally in seven categories: Bike, Car, Challenger, SSV, Truck, M1000 and Classic. The first Dakar Rally in 1979 – originally the Paris-Dakar – involved cars, motorbikes and trucks, with other categories being added later. The Challenger (T3) and SSV (T4) category vehicles are UTVs or buggies designed for off-road racing and were added in 2017. The M1000 category is for prototype vehicles using innovative technology such as hydrogen power. The Classics were added in 2021 and feature vintage vehicles from previous editions of the Dakar, such as Porsche 924s, Toyota Land Cruisers, Nissan Pathfinders and Mitsubishi Pajeros.
09
What are the most memorable moments in Dakar Rally history?
In the 1980s and '90s, the Dakar Rally was ruled by established motorsport stars like Didier Auriol, Ari Vätanen and René Metge, with famous faces like Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx taking part. Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen’s dramatic victories for Peugeot in the late '80s captured the imagination of the public and established the Dakar as a major competition. In the same era, Jan De Rooy’s turbo-powered Daf trucks were quicker than most cars, proving that innovation and eccentricity go hand-in-hand at Dakar.
Stéphane Peterhansel had earned himself the nickname Monsieur Dakar long before taking his 14th victory at the rally. The Frenchman made his Dakar debut in 1988, claiming six victories on a motorbike, switching to cars, and winning eight more times. He’s the record holder for overall wins as well as total wins in both the Bike and Car categories.
In 2001, Jutta Kleinschmidt became the first woman to win the rally. Thirteen years later, Cristina Gutiérrez became the second female to take victory at the Dakar thanks to her faultless drive in the Challenger class. In 2009, Giniel De Villiers became the first African driver to win the rally, and he was followed in 2011 by the first winner from the Middle East, Qatar's Nasser Al-Attiyah. In 2022, 20-year-old Seth Quintero broke the record for the most stage wins at a single Dakar with an astonishing 12 victories. In 2024 Carlos Sainz won the Ultimate class in an Audi RS Q e-tron featuring an electric-powered drivetrain.
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How has the Dakar Rally changed over time?
The brainchild of French adventurer Thierry Sabine, the Dakar Rally began life as the Paris-Dakar in 1979, running through France to Africa and ending in Dakar, Senegal. It has since become a fixture on the international motorsports calendar as the first major event of the year before the Monte Carlo Rally.
The route changes each year with the Dakar going all over Africa, including to Cairo and even to Cape Town. In 2009, the event moved all the way to South America where the racing continued in Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia as the convoy drove up the Andes and through the Atacama Desert. In 2020, the Dakar switched to Saudi Arabia, where it found yet more epic terrain to explore.
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What is the future of the Dakar Rally?
After adventures in Europe, Africa and South America, Saudi Arabia is the new home of the Dakar Rally. The Dakar was built on crossing borders, and there are longer-term ambitions to take the Dakar into other nations in the Middle East. The event itself has expanded to include new categories, notably the Challenger races, which are more affordable for smaller teams to race in, opening up the competition for the next generation of drivers. With the aim of being carbon neutral by 2030, the Dakar continues to be a hotbed of racing technology in the M1000 category and beyond.
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