The sixth edition of Dakar is planned for January 3-17 on a course stretching from Bisha to Shubaytah in Saudi Arabia.
This is a press release from Dakar…
DAKAR 2025 : DESTINATION SHUBAYTAH
The sixth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from 3 to 17 January on a course stretching from Bisha to Shubaytah. The Dakar field discovered Shubaytah in 2020. The gateway to the vast desert of the Empty Quarter has returned for the last two editions as the base camp for an ever more daring exploration of this sea of dunes. This time round, Shubaytah will mark the end of the adventure, much like a beacon leading the competitors to the exit.
CHANGE OF SCENERY FOR THE 48H CHRONO
The concept of a long stage divided between two days in which the competitors have to spend the night in one of several bare-bones bivouacs scattered across the desert was a big hit with racers and viewers alike, as well as amping up the drama and sowing chaos among the title contenders. A souped-up version of the same idea is returning for the 2025 edition, now clocking in at 950 km and on more varied terrain. The riders and crews will face this challenge in the opening week. There will be plenty of opportunities to open up a gap!
DAKAR CLASSIC: FEELING NOUGHTY
As time goes by, what once felt new recedes into the rose-tinted mist of nostalgia. As a result, it is only natural for a new generation of “vintage” vehicles to burst onto the scene of the Dakar Classic four years after the launch of this regularity race. From now on, the competition will be open to cars and trucks registered between 2000 and 2005.
MISSION 1000, ACT 2
The inception of Mission 1000 provided a test bed for ten vehicles or so to put their cutting-edge alternative technologies to the test in the landscapes of the Dakar, tackling a distance suitable for their current potential every day. The desert laboratory is returning in 2025, with an increasing roster of projects that aim to build the future of rally raids.
UPDATE November 29, 2024
Rally director David Castera revealed the specifics of the 47th edition of the Dakar, which will take the amateurs and champions of planet rally raid to Saudi Arabia for the sixth time in a row.
A prologue and 12 stages will be held between January 3-17, including the 48-hour chrono stage, a marathon stage and the climactic challenge in the Empty Quarter before the race draws to a close in Shubaytah.
The route starts in Bisha and stretches for about 7700 kilometers, including 5100 kilometers of specials. For the first time, five stages will take place on separate courses for the FIM and FIA vehicles, amounting to 45% of the timed distance.
The W2RC champions Ross Branch and Nasser Al Attiyah enjoy top billing on the FIM and FIA start lists, which contain 340 entries in total.
On the fringes of the main event, the Dakar Classic will see 76 cars and 19 trucks from a bygone era go head to head in a regularity race, while the Mission 1000 Challenge will put five vehicles equipped with cutting-edge tech to the test on the same terrain as the rally.
The first couple of days of the 2025 Dakar will double as a springboard for a whole new generation of Saudi racers selected as part of the “Saudi Next Gen” operation, which will award a ticket to the 2026 edition to the top-performing crew.
Explore each stage through video at the following link:
https://www.dakar.com/en/gallery/video/discover-the-2025-route
Watch the presentation of the 2025 program at the following link:
https://www.dakar.com/en/gallery/video/2025-route
Learn more at https://www.dakar.com/en/
Click here for all the latest Rally Racing news.
