Carlos Sainz, a Spanish motorsport legend with four Dakar Rally victories, arrives at his 18th participation in the mythical race, which will start in Saudi Arabia in 2025, with the goal of breaking a curious statistic: he has never won with a new car. This year he will make his debut with the Ford Raptor, after months of intense work on the set-up.
“I am happy with the development of the car. Everything has been pretty well on track, without the need to rectify any big decisions. I think we are as well prepared as possible,” Sainz said in an interview ahead of an event for his sponsor, Red Bull.
A Dakar with its essence intact
Sainz, who has experienced the Dakar in its stages in Africa, South America and Saudi Arabia, defends that the DNA of the event remains intact. “It’s a very physical and tough race, where you push the car, the team and the drivers to the limit. It’s a competition by elimination, and that hasn’t changed,” he reflected. For this year, the 62-year-old anticipates a crucial first week, where many favorites will be ruled out. His strategy is clear: “I hope to be fighting for the victory in the second week, where the number of rivals will be reduced”.
The future of the Dakar
Although Saudi Arabia will host the Dakar until 2029, Sainz does not confirm whether he will continue to race during that period. “The only thing for sure is that I will be at the start in 2025. From then on, I will go race by race,” concluded the Spaniard.
