Dacia’s Sandriders Set For Dakar Rally: Nasser Al-Attiyah, Loeb, And More

Dacia is all set for an action-packed 2025 Dakar Rally, with three Sandriders ready to face the brutal terrain of Saudi Arabia from January 3-17. The team has some impressive drivers lined up this year.

Nasser Al-Attiyah and Édouard Boulanger will race the #200 car; Cristina Gutiérrez and Pablo Moreno are in the #212; and the legendary Sébastien Loeb, alongside Fabian Lurquin, will take on the #219 Sandrider. Dacia's already off to a fantastic start, having finished 1-2 at the Rallye du Maroc in October, so they're feeling confident heading into Dakar.

This year’s rally will stretch across 12 grueling days, covering 5,145 kilometers (3,196 miles) of timed stages. The race is intense, with just one rest day and a stopover in Riyadh. The hardest challenge?

The hardest challenge is a 48-hour Chrono Stage, which spans 971 km and puts both drivers and vehicles to the ultimate test. The rally spans a total distance of 7,726 km (4,800 miles), making it an intense challenge.

The Dacia Sandrider is built for this kind of tough race. Its lightweight carbon fiber body and sturdy tubular chassis equip it to tackle the most demanding conditions. A 355-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine powers it under the hood, combining with a six-speed sequential gearbox and four-wheel drive to ensure smooth operation.

Dacia has been fine-tuning everything, working with Alpine Racing to sort out any issues, especially with the electronics. They're also using synthetic fuels from Aramco, adding an eco-friendly edge to the race.

The Ultimate T1+ class promises to be an exciting battle between Dacia, Ford, and Toyota. Although the Dakar Rally presents significant challenges, Dacia is committed to putting in their best effort.