Browsing: Dakar Rally

Dacia’s new Sandrider off-road racer has entered its intensive testing phase, with the factory lineup of Nasser Al-Attiyah, Cristina Gutiérrez, and Sébastien Loeb driving and developing the car at various locations in the UK, Wales, and France. The team is focused on meticulously fine-tuning the Sandrider’s performance ahead of its competition debut at the Rallye du Maroc in October and the highly anticipated 2024 Dakar Rally.

The organizers of the Dakar Rally have reduced the top speed for the Truck category in the 2025 event, from 140 km/h to 135 km/h, citing safety reasons. This decision has sparked controversy, with the defending Truck class champion expressing his displeasure. The change aims to address the speed difference between trucks and smaller vehicles, but the drivers argue it will put them at a disadvantage. Despite the setback, the 2025 Dakar Rally promises to be an exciting event with the continued participation of the top contenders.

Kove Moto, the Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, has undergone a significant restructuring of its rally raid team following the departure of CEO Zhang Xue in March. While the dedicated Kove rally team has been dissolved, the brand continues to provide factory support for select riders and teams, with a renewed focus on their factory riders Neels Theric and Deng Liansong.