A new year heralds the start of the 2025 World Rally Raid Championship with the phenomenal Dakar Rally kicking off the arduous and tough five round season for Monster Energy Honda HRC.
Back in Saudi Arabia for the sixth time, the Dakar will run from January 3rd to the 17th covering an incredible total of 7,805 kilometres including the hardest 5,209 kilometres of special stages against the clock that will stand between the riders and the top step of the podium as they make their way from Bisha to Shubaytah. From the outset, the 48 Hour Chrono which first pushed competitors to their limits in 2024 returns with a ‘bang’ early on in the 2025 Dakar with competitors tackling one huge stage over two days and 1,057 kms that will include sleeping a night under the stars, no team assistance overnight and simple food rations. This 48 Hour Chrono stage truly embodies the early days of the Dakar in Africa in order to test their resilience early on, before an epic marathon stage upon their return to the bivouac. With the epic Empty Quarter dunes to contend with during the rally, on the final day of action there will be a mass start, reminiscent of the Lac Rose stage in the Paris Dakar, which will not only be spectacular but will provide a final showdown like no other as the scramble for the iconic Bedouin trophy comes to its conclusion.
Monster Energy Honda HRC will field five riders aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY including defending champion Ricky Brabec who will be on the hunt for a third victory at the world’s toughest rally. Fighting to be fit after a fall last time out at the season ending Rallye Du Maroc, the experienced American has been putting in the hours to make sure he’s in top form when he rolls up to the start line. He will be joined by the 2024 World Rally-Raid Championship runner up, Adrien Van Beveren, who stood on the Dakar Rally podium in 2024 with a third place finish. Heading into his tenth Dakar, the 2024 48 Hour Chrono stage victor is aiming to cross the line at Shubaytah as the fastest rider and write his name in the history books alongside fellow French Honda riders Cyril Neveu and Gilles Lalay.
Tosha Schareina, the prologue king of the 2024 season, will be looking to convert his speed to a result the Spaniard knows he has within him. Dakar last year was cruel to Schareina after he crashed out early on but putting that disappointment behind him, he then went on to win the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, the Rallye Du Maroc and was runner up at the Desafío Ruta 40. These results put him in the top three of the World Rally-Raid Championship in his first full season.
Also competing in his second Dakar Rally with Monster Energy Honda HRC, Skyler Howes is now back to full fitness after picking up an injury back in the summer, which ruled him out of the final round of the 2024 season in Morocco. Back for his seventh attempt on Dakar, the American is no stranger to the podium having grabbed the final spot in 2023 after leading for six days, so he’ll want to be back amongst the frontrunners in Saudi Arabia.
It’ll be Dakar Rally number 13 for veteran Pablo Quintanilla who despite finishing runner up twice in 2020 and 2022 has never taken the coveted top prize. The 38-year-old two-time World Cross Country Rally title winner is the most experienced rider in the Rally GP class and will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season.
The team will converge at Bisha in the South Western part of Saudi Arabia for the start of this year’s 47th edition of the Dakar Rally where the route will take them across the most spectacular and at times most challenging landscapes in the world of sport, let alone in the World Rally-Raid Championship. They’ll contend with colossal dunes, searing heat, freezing cold, huge rocks and exhausting days as they make their way North to AlUla before heading East towards the vast dunes and the finish line at Shubaytah.
The Monster Energy Honda HRC riders will be ready for the opening Prologue on Friday 3rd January where 29 kilometres of timed action awaits.
Ruben Faria – General Manager
We are already in Saudi Arabia ready for the small shakedown. I’m very happy with the whole team, the riders are well prepared, Ricky is recovered as is Skyler. It’s always difficult to arrive to the Dakar with all the riders in good condition but they are back to full fitness so I’m very happy.
It will be another difficult Dakar, having the 48 Hour Chrono on the second and third day, with more than 900km of special stage, will be very tough from the start. Also with the marathon stage following straight after, which has never happened before, it will be a challenge for the team, riders and bikes. We are prepared though as we work all year ready for these kind of conditions so it’ll definitely be a challenging first week.
After the rest day we head towards the Empty Quarter, there’ll be a couple of easier stages but once we’ve entered that area it will be demanding, not like the first week, but in a different way for the factory riders and I think the first week will likely be more strategic than the second.
The Dakar can be lost easily, so we need to get to the finish at Shubaytah by taking it day by day, with the riders remaining calm, strong and smart, which is the key to this rally, as many things can happen for everybody during the course of this event. We have a strong team who are ready to fight for the epic challenge of the 2025 Dakar Rally.
Pablo Quintanilla 7
I’ve finished my preparation for Dakar, it was a long one but a super good one. I started immediately after the Rallye Du Maroc with my training programme and during this time I was focussed on doing as much kilometres as possible in the desert, so honestly I feel very good with a lot of confidence on the bike and with the navigation too. I’m confident I can do a very good race, super motivated to be part of this big race again and my goal is to ride for the victory.
Ricky Brabec 9
It’s been a slow start for preparing for this Dakar after an injury early on in the Rallye du Maroc, which put a slight dampener on my training programme.
I suffered with a tibia plateau fracture so that put me behind a few weeks, the doctors though took great care of me and got me back on track.
Over the last five weeks I have been busy doing road books and riding enduro style single tracks here at home and I feel as ready as I can be.
I’m excited to be heading back to Dakar with the team and looking for the best result possible, we all want to win and that’s what we fight for everyday.
Skyler Howes 10
My preparations leading up to the Dakar have been really really strong, I’ve done a lot of road book and rally bike training and in addition I’ve spent some considerable time with my trainer, doing cycling and gym work. For me it’s most important to get back into the shape I was in before my accident in the Vegas to Reno race and then get better from there.
I know that Dakar this year is going to be quite difficult, at the start of the rally we have a long stage which takes us directly into the 48 Hour Chrono stage, I think the navigation will be much more challenging than in the Empty Quarter, so I reckon the first week isn’t going to be so easy. It’ll be hard on the body and the mind so I’m looking forward to this challenge although I think it’ll be a lot more about strategy this year.
Adrien Van Beveren 42
My preparation for the Dakar has been excellent. I feel more experienced and ready to correct the mistakes I made in previous years, but I’m also fully aware that this will be a very challenging and long race. I’ve worked on the mental side of it, to take it day by day and stay calm during the tough moments that are sure to come.
I feel strong and ready to put up a great fight, just like my teammates and training with them throughout the year has made us stronger as a team. The bike is in perfect condition for this Dakar, we’ve put a lot of work into it and I’m very happy with the Honda CRF450 RALLY.
Since the 2024 Dakar ended, I’ve been preparing for this one. I made it to the podium last time out, but I want more.
Tosha Schareina 68
The Dakar is the race we are waiting for and I am really looking forward to it after a great season.
I have been able to win all the prologues in 2024 with victories, podiums in all the races and a third in the championship despite not scoring in two World Rally-Raid Championship races.
It’s been a great year and I’m looking forward to making up for last year’s crash on the first stage, which is part of the game.
I have a great team around me and a great bike and that’s what drives me to give 200%.
