Dacia to enter the Dakar Rally in 2025 | GRR
Dacia, proprietor of cheap, cheerful cars that trade on strict necessity and the bare essentials of motoring, will soon be taking on one of the biggest challenging in motorsport. In 2025, Dacia goes to the Dakar and the World Rally-Raid Championship.
The rally-raid prototype will be developed by Dacia along with partners in the Renault Group and rally and motorsport legends Prodrive. The latter will be bringing a raft of Dakar and off-roading experience, most recently with the Hunter. Sébastien Loeb, the most successful WRC driver in history, will be joining Dacia from Prodrive, too.
Also racing for Dacia will be Spanish rally driver Cristina Guiérrez Herrero. She was the first Spanish woman in the car category to finish the Dakar back in 2017. Between 2017 and 2023 she has now contested seven Dakar rallies.
The Dacia prototype will be powered by Aramco synthetic fuel for the series, what Dacia describes as ‘an eco-smart adventure’. In roundabout ways, the Dakar and Dacia are aligned in their ethos, with the marque saying that it’s the perfect balance between ‘rational’ and ‘emotional’.
“Dacia and Dakar are a perfect match,” said Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia.
“Not only is this a test of Dacia’s true robustness, but it is also a showing of our commitment to low-carbon mobility. We are very excited to take part in Dakar with synthetic fuel technology. Dacia, alongside the best team and drivers in the game, are serious contenders for the rally.”