Fresh off their Dakar Rally heroics, the Dacia Sandriders are back and ready to take on the towering dunes of Abu Dhabi in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, running from 22-27 February 2025. With two powerhouse driver duos, a sustainably-fuelled Dacia Sandrider, and a relentless hunger for victory, the team is set to make a serious impact in round two of the 2025 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).
Who’s Behind the Wheel?
- Nasser Al-Attiyah & Édouard Boulanger – Al-Attiyah, a four-time Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge winner, returns with Boulanger, who co-piloted him to victory last year. Can they defend their title?
- Sébastien Loeb & Fabian Lurquin – Rally legend Loeb and his Belgian co-driver Lurquin aim to improve on their previous Abu Dhabi outing. After their stage-winning performance at Dakar, they’re out to prove they can go the distance.
Where’s Cristina Gutiérrez? She and Pablo Moreno will rejoin the W2RC battle later in the season, having impressed at Dakar with four top-10 stage finishes.
Tight Turnaround, Big Expectations
With just a month between Dakar and Abu Dhabi, it’s been a race against time for the Dacia Sandriders to prepare for another punishing rally.
Team Principal Tiphanie Isnard acknowledges the challenge:
“There’s been very little time between our return from Dakar and the start of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, but the team has done an incredible job under intense conditions. We’ve analysed everything we learned at Dakar – not just about the Dacia Sandrider, but how our team operates – and we’re ready to push even harder.”
With maximum championship points up for grabs, the focus is on building momentum for the rest of the W2RC season.
What’s in Store?
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is six gruelling days of high-speed racing across the dunes, starting with a 72km Prologue stage in Al Ain. From there, the challenge intensifies:
- Stage 1 (23 Feb) – 400km dash to Mezeer’ah
- Stage 2 (24 Feb) – 302km around Mezeer’ah
- Stage 3 (25 Feb) – 388km Marathon Stage (NO outside assistance!)
- Stage 4 (26 Feb) – 394km return leg from Marathon Camp
- Stage 5 (27 Feb) – 364km final push to Abu Dhabi
In total, the 1,175km timed distance will push both man and machine to their limits.
Can the Dacia Sandriders Conquer Abu Dhabi?
With momentum from Dakar, an ultra-prepared team, and two world-class driver pairings, Dacia is going all in to fight for victory. Will the Sandriders claim another historic win?
Stay tuned for all the action as Dacia takes on the desert once again!
