Sainz Sr. is preparing to defend the Dakar title with the new Ford Raptor

Carlos Sainz is aiming for a fifth Dakar Rally title when the 2025 edition is held from January 3-17 over Saudi Arabia’s rocky terrain and famous sand dunes and admitted he has had to make some adjustments to get ahead to prepare for the toughest long-distance race in the world of its time from 62.

After winning two World Rally Championship titles in 1990 and 1992, Sainz – father of Formula 1 racer Carlos Sainz Jr. – has become a Dakar mainstay with four titles in 2010, ’18, ’20 and ’24. “El Matador” returns in 2025, aiming for a record fifth victory with a fifth different manufacturer, this time with the debut of a new Ford Raptor T1+. He will draw on a wealth of experience to navigate the route, which covers 7,759 kilometers/4,821 miles across 12 timed special stages from Bisha to the Empty Quarter desert.

Here’s what the Madrid native had to say about the challenge ahead:

How do you physically prepare for the unique challenges of the Dakar?

“As I got older, I obviously had to adapt my training program. I work with a team of professionals and they know me very well. The reality is that I work on my fitness a lot more than I did when I was younger. These days I devote more time to the aerobic part of my preparation. I always say that I prefer to suffer at home, so I don’t suffer so much in the Dakar.”

What helps you and your co-driver Lucas Cruz understand the road book?

“We only get the road book a few minutes before the start of the stage, not like we did the day before. It’s up to the passengers to have a good understanding of this and we drivers need to help as much as possible. When we get to difficult places, we work together to find the right path.”

How did you win the 2024 Dakar without taking a single stage win?

“To win the Dakar Rally you have to have a good strategy and also be faster than the others. In 2024 the rally went well for us. The 48-hour chrono stage was strategically important. We decided not to start this stage at the beginning and as a result lost some time the day before.

“So we had a good starting position and won the first part of the 48-hour stage. In the second part we got stuck in the dunes and lost a few minutes. Sébastien Loeb ended up winning the stage, but we weren’t far behind in second place. The rest was pretty tricky, lots of high speeds and difficult stages. We had a good battle with Seb until the penultimate stage.”

Can you elaborate on the 48-hour chrono stage, the Dakar Rally’s latest innovation?

“The 48-hour chrono stage has now become a crucial part of the Dakar. It’s been two days without service from your team. You sleep in a tent in the desert and it depends on your speed where you sleep and who else is there. In 2025 it is still very early in the rally, basically the second day. It’s going to be so important to get it right, especially for us with a new car.”

Do you remember a particularly difficult phase and how much you suffered because of it?

“I can say that a stage in South America is outstanding. It was extremely hot and I suffered from dehydration. In South America we sometimes had temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius and that was the case on this particularly demanding stage. I remember it really hit me.”

What rule changes would you make to the Dakar Rally?

“It could be the starting order. As a factory driver, if you have a problem on a stage, I think it can be dangerous to start so far back the next day because you end up overtaking so many cars. Additionally, I would change the distance of the guard. It would be good to increase the Sentinel range by another 100 meters because that would help prevent accidents.”

What are the most outrageous Dakar stories you’ve ever heard?

“I remember when I was finishing a stage in my second Dakar and a group of journalists rushed towards me. They all asked me about a problem with my passenger. Apparently there was a story in the press that I had a disagreement with my passenger and left him in the desert. Obviously the story wasn’t true! The journalists had confused me with another competitor, Carlos Souza.

“The truth is that we were all caught in a very strong sandstorm and they had to cancel the stage. Souza and his co-driver Andy Schulz – who was my co-driver on my first Dakar – got out to free their car from the sand, then Souza got back in his car and drove 200 meters before noticing Andy was still outside . Because of the huge sandstorm, they couldn’t find each other again for a long time. It wasn’t until I got back to the bivouac that I found out the whole story.”