Dacia Sandrider: Rallye Dakar 2025 Testphase Erfolgreich Abgeschlossen – Motorsportambitionen auf dem Prüfstand

Dacia has successfully wrapped up the initial testing phase for the 2025 Dakar Rally. It's a pity that the Sandrider won't be mass-produced…

The combination of Dacia and racing may seem odd, yet there's a historical connection. The premiere model of the Duster was first witnessed at ice racing events before its 2010 launch. And the (unofficial) racing squad that entered an aged Logan into the Nürburgring's 24-hour race is hard to forget. Dacia is gearing up for its inaugural entry in the Dakar Rally next year.

The Dacia Sandriders crew has wrapped up its initial testing period as part of the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Dakar Rally. With its entry into the premier motor racing challenge in January 2025, Dacia is making its debut in professional motorsports.

Photo Gallery: Dacia Sandrider (2024): Initial Dakar Trials Completed

The Dacia Sandrider teams concluded a system inspection at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the UK before heading to the Sweet-Lamb testing grounds in Wales for a four-day evaluation period from May 6th to 9th, 2024. The teams then moved on to the Château de Lastours in France for another set of rigorous four-day trials (May 27th to May 31st), where the three crews had the chance to put the Sandrider, equipped with BFGoodrich tires, through its paces on a challenging and rocky terrain.

Cristina Gutiérrez spent two days behind the wheel of the Sandrider in Wales before Sébastien Loeb, the nine-time rally world champion, took over the testing and development duties.

Dakar rally champion Nasser Al-Attiyah spent two days rigorously testing the Sandrider's capabilities at Château de Lastours. Sébastien took control of the cockpit for one and a half days, and Cristina took over for the final afternoon.

Team leader Tiphanie Isnard of the Dacia Sandriders has confirmed that the initial testing phase has surpassed expectations, with Al-Attiyah, Gutiérrez, and Loeb, as well as the engineers and technicians on the ground, facing only minor challenges to address.

Ahead of the upcoming extensive trials in Morocco, scheduled from June 28 to July 5, the Sandrider will undergo rigorous testing on terrain similar to that of the iconic Dakar Rally. This will serve as a precursor to the inaugural race of the 2025 FIA Rally World Championship set to take place in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to January 17, 2025. In preparation for these tests, extensive work is currently underway.

Nasser Al-Attiyah stated, "My initial experience with the Dacia Sandrider took place at the Château de Lastours testing grounds. It was my first opportunity to get behind the wheel and put it through its paces. I was impressed with its ease of handling, as well as its speed and power. Over the course of the first day, we covered 270 kilometers, and matched that distance on the following day. We encountered no issues and thoroughly enjoyed the process. This puts us in a strong position for upcoming tests, and I'm eagerly anticipating our time in Morocco."

Additional from Dacia:

Philip Dunabin, Chief Technical Officer, stated: "We have now completed a series of tests before we head to Morocco for real-world rally testing in a few days. So far, everything has gone incredibly smoothly with no significant issues. We have managed to fine-tune all the basic aspects of the powertrain. Furthermore, we were able to devote a lot more effort to the suspension tuning than we had anticipated. We also had enough time to experiment with different gearbox settings."

The suspension system has been extensively revised, not only during the trials at Sweet Lamb but particularly during the sessions at Château de Lastours. The outlook is very promising as there are just a few minor issues to address, which we expect to resolve quickly. However, despite the excitement, we're mindful that there's still a significant amount of work to be done to get the Dacia Sandrider race-ready. The team is now working tirelessly to prepare thoroughly for Morocco, and we're eagerly anticipating the continuation of our Dakar rally preparations there soon.

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