This year, Daniel Elena, Sébastien Loeb's co-driver for 23 years, is a consultant for the L'Équipe channel on this Dakar 2025 in Saudi Arabia. On the daily sports website, he refuses to give a favorite for the car category.
Daniel Elena knows the Dakar well. He took part in five editions of the most famous rally raid and reached the podium twice with Sébastien Loeb. But the Monegasque also knows very well the other favorites for final victory in the car category. He was a teammate of Carlos Sainz, the defending champion at Ford. Ditto for Nani Roma. And he also worked with the co-pilot of Guillaume de Mévius, runner-up to Carlos Sainz in 2024, at Mini, Mathieu Baumel. When it came time to play the prediction game, Daniel Elena kicked in:
““I don’t have any. On the one hand, there is young, long-toothed wolves with cars seen and reviewed, reliableToyotas and Minis. On the other, old foxes and former Dakar winners with new cars whose reliability we don't know 100% over two weeks. It’s very open”.
What has become of him since his sporting separation from Sébastien Loeb?
Since the Loeb – Elena duo separated, the latter became a father for the second time. He also started his own business with his wife. This is dedicated to motorsport goodies and textiles. And if he doesn't say close the door to a return, it won't be at a high level:
“We have our business to run and our daughter to raise. We'll do motorsport again when she's a little older. But if I start again, it will be in the shoes of an enthusiast, with my wife, to have fun, to have fun”.
Photo credit: Flavien Duhamel / Red Bull Content Pool.
