Carlos Sainz and the Ford Raptor T1+, ready for a major challenge at the 2025 Dakar Rally

Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz are going all out and want to repeat the victory achieved in the Dakar Rally on their third attempt with the sophisticated Audi RS Q e-tron. Having achieved its goal, the brand with the four rings focused exclusively on Formula 1, but the Madrid-born driver had no shortage of offers to conquer the desert again. He chose Ford, thus starting a fourth chapter with the brand of the oval, a link that began in 1987 with the official team of Ford Spain, and which had two new chapters in the World Rally Championship, in 1996/1997 and in 2000 and 2002.

Now, 22 years later, Carlos Sainz and Ford are joining forces again to take on a difficult challenge. For Carlos Sainz, at 62 years old, the goal is to raise the bar even higher on a record he already holds: that of the oldest driver to win the Dakar Rally. If he achieves it, he would also set another milestone: four of his five victories would have been with four different manufacturers.

For Ford, the challenge is just as big: to inscribe its name on the honours list of this legendary event… and to do so at the first attempt, with a debut car. To this end, Ford Performance has entered four Ford Raptor T1+ in the 2025 Dakar Rally. In addition to the Raptor T1+ with bib number 225 for Carlos and Lucas, the other three will be driven by the driver and co-driver pairings Mattias Ekström–Emil Bergkvist (no. 226), Nani Roma–Álex Haro (no. 227) and Mitch Guthrie Jr–Kellon Walch (no. 228).

Ford Raptor T1+: ready to win

At the traditional press conference that Carlos Sainz holds for the media in recent years, a few days before setting off for the competition, the Madrid-born driver showed great motivation. Carlos feels even better prepared physically than last year, and has no doubts about the car, which has developed as expected, “always in a straight line, without having to go back to evolve later along another path”, something that did happen to him on other previous adventures in this event.

The Ford team faces its second participation in the Dakar, after last year’s experience with two units of the Ford Ranger. But this year’s effort, now with the Ford Raptor T1+, is a major undertaking. A project that began back in 2023, which saw the first car completed and carried out its first dynamic tests in April 2024 with Nani Roma at the wheel, and which subsequently, now with Carlos Sainz in the team, has continued its tuning phase.

Let us recall that the Raptor T1+ is a prototype with a steel chassis and carbon fibre bodywork, powered by a 5-litre V8 engine producing 360 CV – the only naturally aspirated one, as all its rivals use turbocharged engines – a 6-speed sequential gearbox and permanent all-wheel drive with front, centre and rear limited-slip differentials and mechanical locking.

Is the Ford Raptor T1+ a winning car? There are several things that suggest it is. The first is the results we have seen so far: the car has been very fast at the Rally of Morocco, a must-do event in any team’s preparation for the Dakar, even winning a stage. Earlier, in August, Nani Roma already secured the overall victory at the Baja Hungary. But what makes me think most that Carlos and Ford can achieve something very big is the face of the Madrid-born driver and the sparkle in his eyes when you ask him this very question.

Carlos, better than anyone, knows it will be difficult. Firstly because parity is maximum among the other teams, although on paper Dacia starts as the favourite. And secondly because the desert is always a box of surprises, and experience tells us that no matter how many tests you do, the true reliability of the Raptor T1+ will not be seen until the race. But I see the Madrid-born driver calmer than ever, having debuted with a new brand and car in the Dakar. Then, whatever will happen will happen, but Carlos knows he is still as fast as anyone, that he has the best co-driver by his side… and that the Ford Raptor T1+ is ready to win.

Ford Raptor T1+ and Carlos Sainz – Image Gallery