How Sanders is impressing team
Australia’s Dakar champion Daniel Sanders is putting together a year for the ages and his preparation is turning heads.
Sanders made history at the start of the year by winning the 2025 Dakar Rally and being just the second Australian to do so.
However, this has just been one part of a perfect start to the 2025 World Rally Raid Championship.
Sanders has won all three events so far having also been successful at Abu Dhabi and South Africa.
With only two rounds to go in Portugal and Morocco, he is in the box seat to create more history.
He has achieved all of this in his very first year racing for the factory KTM team as Price’s replacement.
KTM rally-raid factory Team Manager Andreas Hölzl has been deeply impressed by Sanders’ work ethic on and off the bike, which is why “Chucky” is in the middle of a stunning 2025.
“He’s a hard worker and a thinker,” he said of Sanders.
“He’s changed his approach to racing a lot since the Rallye du Maroc 2024, when he started asking for the perfect set-up, looking for details and doing everything he could to get them.
“We listened to him a lot to help him. The key is preparation. Do not think that everything depends on the race.
“You have to do your homework if you want to succeed. Daniel has always been a hard worker, he’s always been super fast in the desert, but now that everything is ready for race day, it’s working out well for him.”
It has been a tough year behind the scenes for KTM with the brand losing money and almost being at the point of collapse.
But Holzl said the spirit within the team has always stayed strong and helped them perform.
“2024 was a difficult year. We missed out on Dakar victory by a mile,” he said.
“But with the experience, know-how and technology of such a team, it was possible to develop a bike in a year that would make the riders happy.
“The collaboration between the technical team and the riders was remarkable and in the end the work paid off. In rallying, you need a collective spirit, it’s the only way to make things happen.
“We’ve shown that despite the difficulties, we’re still moving forward. We’re a hard-working team that always finds solutions.
“It was a question of passion and enthusiasm for the whole company. It was a necessary victory. We had the right riders, the right team, but these men behind the handlebars did it. They understood the importance of supporting KTM.
“It was a great victory, super important at this time and one that will stay with us for a long time and help us with our “ready to race” image.”
The next event is Portugal on September 22-28.
Image: Red Bull Content Pool
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