Sainz to defend Dakar with new Ford Raptor

Carlos Sainz Senior has made a massive switch for his Dakar Rally defence in 2025 by switching from Audi to old friend Ford where he will drive the new Raptor.

Sainz and two-time Dakar winner Nani Roma have been announced as the first parts of what appears to be a stacked four-driver team that will lead the “Blue Oval” in the famous desert rake next year.

They will drive a new 2025 Ford Raptor that is yet to be revealed but will be built with support from Ford Performance and M-Sport and active testing is currently taking place.

Sainz made history by winning the 2024 Dakar Rally with Audi at the age of 61 and will be chasing a fifth overall and first with Ford next year.

However, he is no stranger to the “Blue Oval” having won back to back Spanish Rally titles in a Sierra in 1987 and 1988 before stepping up to the FIA World Rally Championship.

Across two separate stints either side of the turn of the century, Sainz won four rallies in an Escort and a Focus.

In five of his six season with Ford, Sainz finished third in the FIA WRC standings and he is excited by the new challenge with the American brand.

A teaser of the new Ford Raptor. Image: Supplied

“I’m very excited by this new Dakar Rally project,” he said.

“To go back to working with Ford for the fourth time, and to return to M-Sport, to return to Malcom who I know very well, it’s really great to be back. 

“My history with Ford goes all the way back to ‘87, and I think I was Malcolm’s [Wilson, founder of M-Sport] first driver, his first ever factory driver, back in the day, and I’m very proud of that.

“I’m really excited to be driving the Raptor truck, and to approach this big challenge with a lot of goals. 

“One is to help Ford win the Dakar Rally.”

Carlos Sainz pushes the boundaries at the Muresk jump in the Ford Focus RS in the 2002 Rally of Australia. Image: Motorsport Images

Roma is also a two-time Dakar Rally winner in 2004 with KTM and 2014 with Mini.

But at the current point of a long career that started at the famous rally back in 1996, Roma is a Ford driver.

After racing a Ranger T1+ for M-Sport this year he is looking forward to extending his time in the “Blue Oval.”

“It’s a great pleasure to be involved in this huge project, and with an iconic motorsport brand like Ford,” he said.

“Coupled with a team like M-Sport with its history, and legacy in the sport, to create something completely new with, I can say it’s been a very exciting few months already. 

“The next Dakar is not far, so now it’s time to work really hard but Alex and I are so happy to be surrounded by super dedicated and talented engineers, mechanics, and the wider team – we get to wake up every day and do what we love with people that have the same passion, it’s the best feeling!”

Nani Roma is staying in Ford colours.

Whilst the new Raptor is still in development, Ford Performance Motorsport Global Director Mark Rushbrook is excited by the early signs.

“The scale of our ambitions in off-road racing are unparalleled in Ford’s recent history and nothing is more clear in that ambition than our challenge to take the Ford Raptor to the legendary Dakar rally,” he said. 

“Taking on such an enormous challenge requires the best engineers, designers, team members, navigators and drivers, and in Nani Roma and Carlos Sainz Sr, we have two of the most experienced and successful drivers in Dakar history. 

“The Ford Raptor is already showing promising signs in testing and having two of the best drivers in the world with us for the ride gives us confidence for the continued development of the truck.”

M-Sport director and Dakar team manager Matthew Wilson was delighted by the news.

“It is such a pleasure to welcome Nani back to the team after a great run this year in the Ranger T1+ in
Dakar,” said Wilson.

“His experience and knowledge were invaluable to us and I am sure we will continue to learn from him as this exciting program moves forwards.

Carlos Sainz in front of the new Ford Raptor.

“Carlos is a legend of our sport and one of the most successful drivers across all formats of off-road racing.

“His decision to return to Ford and M-Sport after so many years is a huge boost for the team and it is great to have him back in the extended Ford family ready to take on the huge challenge that Dakar presents.

“With testing well underway, we have a great chance now to learn from the best and push the development of the Ford Raptor forward even further.”

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