Saudi Arabia is all set to host the 2025 Dakar Rally for the sixth consecutive year. The 47th edition of the world’s most renowned Rally Raid will take place from January 3 to 17, 2025, starting in Bisha and concluding in Shubaytah. (More Sports News)
Over the next 14 days꧟, 432 vehicles, bikes, cars, side-by-sides, and trucks, will take on the rugged deserts of the Arabian Peninsula. The 47th edition of the Dakar Rally kicks off thisꦗ Friday with the Prologue, which sets the road order, but the real action kicks off on Saturday when the first of 12 tough special stages begins in Bisha.
This year’s rally is shaping up to be more intense than ever, with newcomers like Dacia and Ford M-Sport stepping uꦉp to take on the powerhouse teams of Mini and Toyota.
As always, predicting the winner is a challenge, and we’ll have to wait until January 17 to see who claims the title. The event will also serve as the opening round of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship.
Thi🍸s year, the rally will kick o🧸ff in Bisha, traverse the vast Empty Quarter, and wrap up in Shubaytah.
Notably, one of the stages will be a 48-hour "chrono" marathon, covering a grueling 950 km. Five s🍎tages will feature separate routes for cars and bikes, and there will be one mass start stage. Organizers have teased more challenging navigation, with the full details of the stages set to be unveiled later in 2024.
Official Route
Indians In Action
Hero MotoSports will be the sole Indian team at the Dakar Rally this year, but four 𒅌Indian competitors, including the first to race in one of the four-wheeler categories, will be aiming for glory at the world's most challenging rally raid.
The year 2024 marked a significant achievement for Hero as it became the first Indian team to secure a podium finish at the Dakar Rally, with Ross Branch taking second place. Additionally, Branch went on to claim the 2024 World Rally Raid Championsh𝓰ip title.
As Hero look to build on this success, the tea🌌m will have three riders competing ꦆin the prestigious Rally GP class at Dakar 2025. Branch will return for his third Dakar Rally with Hero, joined by teammates Sebastian Buhler and Jose 'Nacho' Cornejo.
Other than the Indian team, there are a few other Indian racers too Including, Harith Noah, Ashish Raorane, Jatin Jain and Sanjay Ta��kalಞe.
Entries
432 crew total
136 Bike crews
64 Ultimate crews (45 T1+, 2 T1.1, 17 T1.2)
54 Challenger crews
39 SSV crews
45 T5 Truck crews
95 Dakar Classic
Stages
Prologue: Bisha-Bisha (79 km / 29 km) – January 3
Stage 1: Bisha-Bisha (500 km / 412 km) – January 4
Stage 2: Bisha-Bisha (1057 km / 965 km) – January 5-6*
Stage 3: Bisha-Al Henakiyah (845 km / 496 km) – January 7
Stage 4: Al Henakiya-Al Ula (588 km / 415 km) – January 8
Stage 5: Al Ula-Ha’il (491 km / 428 km) – January 9
Rest Day: Ha’il – January 10
Stage 6: Ha’il-Al Duwadimi (829 km / 606 km) – January 11
Stage 7: Al Duwadimi-Al Duwadimi (745 km / 481 km) – January 12
Stage 8: Al Duwadimi-Riyadh (733 km / 487 km) – January 13
Stage 9: Riyadh-Haradh (589 km / 357 km) – January 14
Stage 10: Haradh-Shubaytah (638 km / 119 km) – January 15
Stage 11: Shubaytah-Shubaytah (506 km / 280 km) – January 16
Stage 12: Shubaytah꧅-Shubaytah (205 km / 134 km) – January 17
Stage 2 includes 🧜a 48-hour Chrono stage across two day꧙s.
Dakar Rally 2025: Live Streaming
The 2025 Dakar Rally kicks off on Friday, January 3, with coverage beginning at 8 pm ET on Peacock. For Indian fans, the live streaming information is not available yet. Stay tuned ♓for updates on where to catch the action as the rally progresses.
