“Everyone is harassing us, asking us if it’s finally the right one in 2025explique Lurquin. But Seb and I don’t think like that. We will focus on ourselves. Certainly, Morocco, which marked the debut of the Dacia, was very positive. But we know that a lot of things can happen. Everyone will have their share of setbacks. In the end, it is the Dakar that will choose its winner. They say that Dacia is the favorite but we let people talk. The Sandrider, which is brand new, is efficient but we will only really be able to tell if it is born at the finish of the event. And it will be very tight with lots of new kids arriving.”
Another new feature is the separation of courses between the different categories. Cars will no longer be able to benefit from motorcycle tracking, and the role of navigators will be even more crucial.
“We will have more work and it is not to displease me because it will put our job forward, he continues. There will undoubtedly be more strategy. Sometimes winning a stage could mean losing time the next day when opening the route.”
