Watch daily extended highlights from the 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally each morning via SBS On Demand - plus a daily 15-minute mini recap and more from January 3-17.
What is the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation and is famous for its tough terrain and off-road endurance, where an expansive field must traverse sand, rocks, gravel, and tarmac as quick as possible.
First held in 1979, drivers were tasked with racing from Paris, France, to Dakar in Senegal. This would become the rally’s definitive route for over 20 years - barring brief stints in Lisbon, Granada and Cape Town - until the event moved to South America in 2009 and, later, Saudi Arabia in 2020.
The rally’s existence is a direct result of the life-changing experience of Thierry Sabine, the French adventurer who got lost in the Tenere desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally a few years prior. After being saved from the sweltering heat and unforgiving sands of the Sahara, Sabine returned to France with a passion to create a race unlike any other. One he would coin “a challenge for those who go, a dream for those who stay behind”.
Part adventure, part marathon, the Dakar Rally pits hundreds of drivers against one another in various vehicle categories such as cars, bikes, trucks, quads, SSVs, light prototypes, and classics.
Drivers are required to navigate a course and its unpredictable obstacles at speed, all while reaching each checkpoint en route to the finish line. GPS systems and the use of a roadbook are permitted, with mechanical knowledge essential for all competitors in case of punctures, breakdowns and other problems that could pose a threat to their respective times.
Where does the 2025 Dakar Rally take place?
The rally will take place in Saudi Arabia, with drivers beginning their journey in Bisha and finishing in Shubaitah.
How long is the Dakar Rally?
The 2025 edition will begin with a prologue on January 3 and conclude on January 17 following 12 gruelling stages and one rest day. Drivers will cover a total distance of 7,805 kilometres, with over 5,000 worth of special sections.
Stage 2 will see the return of the 48-hour Chrono following its successful debut last year. Competitors have until 5pm to reach one of six bivouacs (temporary camps) for the night, where they will need to repair their vehicles before setting out the next morning.
Is every stage of the Dakar Rally the same?
Every stage of the Dakar is different, with the prologue's shorter route designed to help determine the starting order of the race proper.
Stages:
- Prologue on January 3: Bisha > Bisha = 79km total, 29km special
- Stage 1 on January 4: Bisha > Bisha = 500km total, 412km special
- Stage 2 on January 5 & 6: Bisha > Bisha = 1,057km total, 965km special
- Stage 3 on January 7: Bisha > Al Henakiyah = 845km total, 496km special
- Stage 4 on January 8: Al Henakiyah > AlUla = 588km total, 415km special
- Stage 5 on January 9: AlUla > Hail = 491km total, 428km special
- Rest Day on January 10: Hail
- Stage 6 on January 11: Hail > Al Duwadimi = 829km total, 606km special
- Stage 7 on January 12: Al Duwadimi > Al Duwadimi = 745km total, 481km special
- Stage 8 on January 13: Al Duwadimi > Riyadh = 733km total, 487km special
- Stage 9 on January 14: Riyadh > Haradh = 589km total, 357km special
- Stage 10 on January 15: Haradh > Shubaytah = 638km total, 119km special
- Stage 11 on January 16: Shubaytah > Shubaytah = 506km total, 280km special
- Stage 12 on January 17: Shubaytah > Shubaytah = 205km total, 134km special
How many drivers are involved in Dakar Rally 2025?
Over 650 drivers and teams will contest the 2025 Dakar Rally across eight categories: bike, car, rally 2, Classic, challenger, M1000, SSV, and truck.
Though bikes, quads, cars and trucks have formed part of the rally since its inception, the challenger (T3) and SSV (T4) categories were added in 2017 and were designed for off-road racing buggies.
Meanwhile, the M1000 category is for vehicles that use innovative technology, and the classics pertain to the vintage vehicles used in previous editions of the race.
How do you win the Dakar Rally?
The Dakar Rally is a marathon, not a sprint, with consistency the key to achieving victory.
Completing stages as quickly as possible will contribute to a driver’s overall time, with the general classification winner of each category determined at the end of Stage 12. As a result, securing stage wins are of particular interest to the field, though they do come with drawbacks as leaders can often veer in the wrong direction.
Drivers have GPS systems and a roadbook at their disposal, but they can also follow the wheel treads of their rivals to reach each waypoint.
Who are the most successful teams?
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing have led the way in recent years, with Kevin Benavides and Australian Toby Price among those to have won the bikes category, while Peugeot, Mini and Volkswagen have all enjoyed time at the top.
Mitsubishi is the most successful out of the cars, however, with 12 victories since 1985, though 2025 will crown a new champion after Audi opted not to return and defend their 2024 title.
As for the quads, Yamaha had won every Dakar since 2009 until the 7240 Team prevailed last year, with KAMAZ dominating the trucks category and Can-Am taking the title several times since T3 and T4s were added to the competition.
Are there any Australians competing?
Five Australian teams will compete in the 2025 edition; three in the bikes category and two in the cars. Daniel Sanders, Toby Hederics and Andrew Houlihan will feature on two wheels, with Price, having departed KTM, moving to four wheels alongside navigator Sam Sunderland, where they will be joined by Classic entrants Peter and Christopher Schey.
How can Australians watch the 2025 Dakar Rally?
SBS On Demand will have hour-long highlights of each stage available each morning for the duration of the Dakar Rally, before SBS relay the program at 5pm (AEDT).
On Demand will also house a special Dakar Rally Hub for the 2025 edition, complete with extended highlights, must-see moments, interviews and more.
