Portuguese Racer Maria Luís Gameiro Set to Make Debut in 2025 Dakar Rally
In a significant milestone for Portuguese motorsports, Maria Luís Gameiro has announced her entry into the prestigious Dakar Rally for the first time in 2025. The talented driver, who has honed her skills in the FIA World and European Baja Cups as well as national championships, will compete in the Challenger category under the Team Motivo JCB banner.
Gameiro, who typically races a Mini JCW Rally Plus from X-raid in the Ultimate class, will switch to a Yamaha YXZ1000R Turbo Prototype for her Dakar debut, with José Marques serving as her navigator. This experienced pairing has previously collaborated at the Africa Eco Race, which follows the original Dakar route.
“We’ve been working hard to be sure we’ll be at Dakar 2025,” said Gameiro. “Being able to confirm it is a big responsibility, and also a source of enormous joy and pride. Everything happened very quickly in the last two years, and I feel that the dedication of the team is now bearing its best fruits.”
The 2024 season saw Gameiro primarily focused on races in the Iberian Peninsula, including the European Cup’s Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura, where she finished third in class, and the World Cup’s Baja Aragón, where she placed eighth. Her home-soil debut at the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid in Portugal resulted in a tenth-place finish in the Ultimate class.
In early October, Gameiro made her first foray into the Challenger category, debuting with a Yamaha but retiring due to engine problems. This came shortly after she became the first woman to compete in the Baja Morocco, where she placed sixteenth in her maiden desert rally.
Gameiro will be the first Portuguese woman to race the Dakar since Elisabete Jacinto, who competed on a bike and in a car between 1998 and 2009. Marques, her co-driver, has extensive Dakar experience, having made six previous starts as a navigator.
“Representing Portugal at the Dakar Rally is a great source of pride for me,” Gameiro continued. “I’m about to fulfill a dream, and above all, I hope I’m up to the challenge. We are working to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible.”
The 2025 Dakar Rally is scheduled to take place from January 3 to 17.
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