RALLY DAKAR 2025

Dacia will participate in the Dakar Rally from 2025, with Sebastien Loeb at the wheel

It was announced today that from 2025 it will participate in the Dakar Rally, the car from the Romanian manufacturer will be piloted by none other than Sebastien Loeb. Nine-time world champion, Loeb is one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Next to him will be Cristina Gutierrez, the second woman in history to win a stage of the Dakar Rally.

Rally Dakar needs no introduction among car enthusiasts, being the most demanding and spectacular rally-raid event in the world. Dacia's participation in the Dakar Rally is certainly a surprise to everyone, but the co-option of Sebastian Loeb in the team can be considered a big blow to the image of the Romanian manufacturer. Dacia will start the Dakar Rally in the T1+ category.

“Dacia and Dakar form a perfect partnership: a true laboratory to prove Dacia's robustness and a strong commitment to low-carbon mobility. We are very excited about the idea of participating in the Dakar using synthetic fuel technology. Dacia, with a team and drivers of the best level, is a serious competitor in the rally”, said Denis Le Vot, CEO of Dacia, on the subject.

The Dacia car will run on synthetic fuels... It's almost useless to talk about the experience of the two pilots, Sebastien Loeb being nine times world champion. For her part, Cristina Gutierrez is the first female rally driver from Spain to finish the Dakar Rally in the car category. Her experience is vast, accumulating over the years seven participations in the Dakar.

The Dacia car that will participate in the Dakar Rally will be a prototype that will run on synthetic fuels developed by the Saudi Aramco. “The synthesis of this type of fuel is made with renewable electricity. Throughout the production cycle, synthetic fuels have a smaller carbon footprint than petroleum-derived fuels. The Dakar Rally is the ideal testing ground for this technology for the Dacia brand,” reports Renault. The Dacia prototypes will begin training tests as early as next year, and will initially participate in the Morocco Rally.

Author: Adrian Somai