The start of the 2025 Dakar Rally approaches

Monster Energy Honda HRC have been in Saudi Arabia since Christmas as they've readied themselves for the huge challenge that is the 2025 Dakar Rally.  With a team roster from around the globe that includes Americans Ricky Brabec and Skyler Howes, Chilean Pablo Quintanilla and two Europeans, Tosha Schareina and Adrien Van Beveren, they have been acclimatising themselves on the shores of the Red Sea at Jeddah. They have now rung in the new year with a shakedown test aboard their Honda CRF450 RALLY bikes around the first bivuoac at Bisha, a town in the south-western Saudi Arabian province of 'Asir.

This was followed by press conference duties today for the 2024 Dakar Rally winner Ricky Brabec and third place finisher last year, Adrien Van Beveren, along with administrative checks and scrutineering of the Hondas and riders' kit at the Bisha bivouac with the team now ready for the first day of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship.

There are 136 riders taking part in the Dakar this year, 21 of which are in the premier RallyGP category featuring the all factory Honda riders. The first stage will be the Prologue which will cover a total distance of 79km from Bisha where hard terrain and gravel tracks will have them up against the clock for 29km of timed special stage.  Although a short stretch it's still vital to get through this first day cleanly and without any mistakes as the top ten will then get to choose their starting order for stage one that takes place on Saturday.

Two weeks of racing across the hardest stages on the planet then await Monster Energy Honda HRC across the vast, challenging landscapes of Saudi Arabia where the 47th edition of the iconic rally will test the riders right from the onset with the 48 Hour Chrono and a marathon stage as part of the schedule in the first week.  Those with nerves of steel, determination and luck on their side will make it to the finish line on 17th January at Shubaytah.

Ruben Faria

General Manager

The Dakar Rally will start tomorrow with a longer prologue of 29km, this will be perfect for the riders as the first week is going to be tough, tomorrow will be important for their start position over the next few days.

We have been preparing for the Dakar since the Rallye Du Maroc with a focus on navigation and bike suspension set up, so the riders are ready for the start now. The whole team have done a great job setting up here in Bisha despite the strong wind yesterday, the conditions reminded me of the rally days in Africa and we all needed our 100% motocross goggles on which was very funny.

With the action finally kicking off tomorrow the focus for the riders is to achieve a good position in this tough first half of the rally so they can manage the final week.