Peter Lyon
December 31, 2024
Back on December 26, we wrote about Toyota’s entry in the upcoming Dakar Rally and how the company has over a dozen SUVs competing in the 2025 event. Ford is also entering a team, its strongest so far. Set against the challenging terrain of Saudi Arabia, the Dakar Rally emerges each year as off-road motorsport’s ultimate crucible. In 2025, Ford Performance and M-Sport will compete in the rally’s T1+ category with the purpose-built Raptor T1+ and a team of skilled drivers.
For the record, it may be called the Dakar Rally but the entire event is staged inside Saudi Arabia for convenience and safety.
For over four decades, the Dakar Rally has stood as a testament to human and mechanical endurance. From January 3-17, competitors will tackle nearly 5,000 miles. Split into 12 stages from Bisha to Shubaytah, every stage tests the boundaries of possibility, where drivers and co-drivers are only given their route moments before competition and terrain and weather can vary in the extreme.
“The Dakar Rally is the pinnacle of off-road racing, and it’s where legends are made,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance. “With the Raptor T1+ and our exceptional team of drivers, we’re not just here to compete—we’re here to showcase the strength, durability, and technical innovation that Ford stands for.
“This is a milestone moment for Ford Performance and our partners at M-Sport, and we’re ready to take on the challenge.”
Raptor is powered by Ford’s Coyote-based V8 engine
The T1+ category is the top caliber of competition classification in FIA rally raid, featuring purpose-built vehicles powered by production-derived engines, and the Raptor T1+ is crafted to meet those standards. Boasting a high-performance Ford Coyote-based V8 engine, advanced FOX suspension, and a lightweight yet robust chassis, this machine will do battle with the likes of Toyota’s mighty Land Cruiser and Hilux. Rigorous testing, both in competition and out, has honed the Raptor T1+ into race-ready mode.
A highlight of the Ford entry is that four-time winner and reigning Dakar champion Carlos Sainz Sr. will take the helm of one of the Raptors while other veteran steerers including Mattias Ekstrom will compete too.
At the center of Ford’s Dakar campaign is its engineering collaboration with rally racing experts M-Sport. This partnership marries decades of experience with a relentless pursuit of perfection, culminating in a vehicle capable of meeting Dakar’s brutal demands.
CARLIST THOUGHTS
Ford’s foray into Dakar draws from a heritage that spans over five decades, when Rod Hall piloted his Ford Bronco as the first and only production 4×4 vehicle to win the Baja 1000. From the Baja-conquering Bronco to the enduring toughness of Raptor, Ford vehicles have long embodied technical capability and resilience. Merging desert-tested design with race-proven engineering, the Raptor T1+ represents the apex of this legacy.
