The Spanish driver Carlos Sainz, double world rally champion and four-time winner of the Dakar, will try to retain the title in the toughest rally-raid in the world at 62 years of age and with a new team, Ford Performance, which has just announce its participation in the 2025 Dakar Rally with four vehicles and four drivers, two of them Spanish.
Ford Performance, which this Friday showed the first images of its Ford Raptor competition for the Dakar 2025, has announced the name of two of the four drivers, both Spanish, who will be part of the American brand’s team: Carlos Sainz and Nani Roma.
Carlos Sainz, who debuted in the World Rally Championship in 1987 at the wheel of a Ford Sierra Cosworth, is aiming for his fifth Dakar Rally title on his return to the American team. It is “a relationship forged at the beginning of his almost 40-year sporting career,” according to the oval brand.
Two-time Dakar champion Nani Roma expands collaboration with Ford and M-Sport following 2024 learning season. Testing of the 2025 Ford Raptor has begun as Ford Performance aims to successfully complete one of the world’s toughest races .
As announced by the American brand, the 2025 Dakar Rally program reinforces Ford’s presence and dedication in motorsport on a global scale, as well as its commitment to off-road competitions after the presence in 2024 of the Ranger T1.
“The scale of our off-road racing ambitions is unmatched in Ford’s recent history and nothing reflects that ambition better than our intention to bring the Ford Raptor to the legendary Dakar Rally,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsport. “With Nani Roma and Carlos Sainz we have two of the most experienced and successful drivers in the history of the Dakar,” added Rushbrook, who announced that the Ford Raptor is already showing “promising results in testing.”
“Carlos is a legend of our sport and one of the most successful drivers in all formats of off-road racing. His decision to return to Ford and M-Sport after so many years is a great boost for the team and it is great to have him back into the great Ford family,” said M-Sport director and Dakar team director Matthew Wilson.
“I’m very excited about this new project for the Dakar Rally. Working again with Ford for the fourth time, and returning to M-Sport, with Malcolm Wilson (founder of M-Sport), who I know very well, is really great” , declared Carlos Sainz.
“My history with Ford goes back to ’87; I believe I was Malcolm’s first factory driver and I’m very proud of that. I’m excited to drive the Raptor and achieve many goals in this great challenge. One of them is helping Ford win the Dakar Rally,” added the Madrid driver, who has just turned 62 years old.
“It is a huge pleasure to be involved in this great project, and with an iconic motorsport brand like Ford. Together with a team like M-Sport, with its history and legacy in the sport, I can say that these have been very exciting months. “commented Nani Roma.