Introduction

The Dakar Rally is a long-distance rally. The race consists of one stage per day with at least one “special stage” each day (a few hundred kilometres), either off-road or track. The total race distance is several thousand kilometres. The race takes place over 10-15 days (compared to 2-3 days for cross-country rallies).

The classification of each stage is based on adding the times recorded during the special stage, and possible sporting penalties.Rally participants use navigation skills, using a road book provided by the race organizers and distributed at the start of each stage 

What is the purpose of the Dakar Rally

Every year, more than 500 cars participate in all categories, but only about half of the cars complete the race, and sometimes only about one-third of them. This makes the Dakar Rally known as the “world’s most grueling motorsport.”

The first event was held in 1979. It began as the Paris-Dakar Rally, a 10,000km course starting from Paris, France to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, Africa. The founder of the event, Frenchman Thierry Sabine, built this epic rally from scratch, gathering staff, finding sponsors, setting rules, establishing a measurement system, arranging transportation for the staff who had to move around as the rally progressed, and obtaining permission to hold the race in each country the rally passed through.

From the second tournament, major automobile and motorcycle manufacturers began to enter direct-managed teams as works teams, and from the third tournament in 1981, it became an official race recognized by the FIA ​​(Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) and FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motorcycling). Since then, it has been held every year except for 2008, when it was cancelled, and 2014 will be the 36th tournament.

Where was the Dakar Rally held in 2025

The world’s largest off-road race, which took place in Saudi Arabia in January, also marked the start of the World Championship for Rally Raid (W2RC) season.A prologue and 12 stages are scheduled to take place from 3rd to 17th January, including a marathon stage and a 48-hour stage (Chrono 48H) over two days, totalling 5,100km of timed racing and around 7,700km of contested sections.

The first few days started and finished in Bisha, before the athletes moved to other parts of Saudi Arabia from January 7, including the Empty Quarter desert, with the final stage starting and finishing in Shibuya.

Stage 6 had the longest timed distance in a single day (829 km), but Stage 3 has the longest total distance (845 km), excluding the two-day Chrono 48H of course.A rest day was set for January 10, after the marathon stage. For the first time, there were five stages with different courses for FIM and FIA cars.

Can anyone join Dakar

The Dakar Rally is open to anyone over the age of 18 of any nationality who has an international cross-country rally driving license issued by the FIA or FIM.Participants must have competed in at least one FIA/FIM World Championship or any other event on the national racing calendar or the FIA/FIM calendar.

However, the event organizer retains the right to disqualify any racer who lacks the physical prowess required to compete in the Dakar Rally or the minimal amount of recent experience required in motorcycle/quad bike races. 

How much does it cost to enter the Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally is aimed at both amateurs and professionals, i.e. private teams and factory teams. The costs of participating in the marathon rally vary greatly depending on the vehicle, the individual effort and the number of stages. In addition to the entry fee, which is between 15,000 and 40,000 euros, participants also have to pay for the transport of the vehicles there and back, all travel costs and, of course, repairs and maintenance out of their own pockets. There are also administrative costs, for example for the visa and the necessary licenses.

Participating on a motorcycle is one of the cheapest ways to experience the Dakar Rally as a driver, so there are a particularly large number of amateurs competing in this class. For this reason, the ASO introduced a special selection process. All drivers must have taken part in a race in the FIM Cross-Country World Cup or the “Dakar Series” in order to be allowed to take part in the Dakar Rally.

The cost of participating by motorcycle is at least 50,000 euros, while the total cost for cars is in the six-figure range. Depending on the effort and commitment, the costs can be up to 250,000 euros.

Conclusion

A number of variables, including the participant’s location, the kind of vehicle to be used, the length of the race, and other elements that may impact the expenses, might affect the amateur Dakar Classic budget.

It is crucial to remember that the actual budget could differ greatly depending on the circumstances, and that some of the aforementioned goods might be optional. Before choosing to enter the tournament, prospective participants are advised to create a thorough budget.