Organized for the first time in 1979, originally from Paris to the senegalese capital, then in South America from 2009, and since the 2020 edition in Saudi Arabia, the Dakar is an iconic event which severely challenge the abilities of its competitors.
Biggest rally-raid in the world, the Dakar Rally is traditionnally the first round of the FIA-FIM World Rally Raid Championship since its creation in 2022. A competition of extremes and an orienteering race, the Dakar brings together the leading rally raid riders and drivers, as well as amateur competitors who come to experience an adventure and face an exceptional challenge, sometimes the challenge of a lifetime.
The 2025 edition (3-17 January) from Bisha to Shubaytah will be one for the tough ones, featuring the return of the 48h chrono, a traditional marathon stage and a three-day adventure in the Empty Quarter, where the race will come to an end.
The Dakar is an important event for the protagonists of the FIA-FIM World Rally Raid Championship as it is the only marathon event of the 2025 calendar. Competitors will give their best on the Saoudian tracks since the Dakar allows them to score decisive points as they seek out their W2RC titles !
The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, one of the world’s oldest international cross-country rallies, organized by Emirates Motorsports Organization (EMSO), was founded in 1991 by Emirati motorsport legend and current FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The event rapidly gained global fame with all the biggest names in international motorsport attempting to conquer the dunes of the UAE’s unforgiving Rub’Al Khali Desert, also named Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand ocean.
34 years in, and thanks to the patronage of Abu Dhabi’s Government through the strategic partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council and energy partner ADNOC Distribution, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge respects the highest safety and organizational standards, where participants can benefit from Abu Dhabi’s world-class infrastructure. Today, the Desert Challenge is considered by competitors to one of the most technical race on the calendar.
Celebrating its 34th edition, the event continues to innovate. After discovering the Al Dhafra area in 2023, the introduction of a second rally bivouac in Mezaira’a in 2024, the 2025 edition will also bring plenty of novelties which will be released in the coming weeks.
The third round of the W2RC 2025 will be held from 18 to 24 May in South Africa for the first time in the history of the championship. Organized by the South African Rally Raid Championship, the South African Safari Rally will bring back the memories of the 1992 Paris-Cape Town Rally, last international cross-country rally organized in South Africa.
Competitors will discover Africa as never seen it before: from the fast open tracks flowing through the savanna plains of the central region of the country, to more technical roads with some bush and river crossings around the Pilanesberg National Park.
The main bivouac will be based in Sun City, world renowned resort situated in the North West Province, 2-hours away from Johannesburg, surround by the Pilanesberg National Park.
Ross Branch and Bradley Cox, respectively FIM World Rally Raid Champion 2024 and winner of the Rally2 Word Cup 2024, will give their best in front of their crowd.
After the success of the first edition, the BP Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal is back in the W2RC in 2025.The competition, on the portuguese and spanish tracks, promises unforgettable moments for cars and motorbikes.
Originally held in April, the event has been moved to late September to set up a Portugal-Morocco one-two combo. Organized by the ACP – Automóvel Club de Portugal, the event will take fourth place on the 2025 calendar and will be the only stage held in Europe.
The race will cover a course of more than 1000 kilometers of technical roads, mostly wide, and with varied types of terrain through the Alentejo, Ribatejo and Spanish Extremadura Provinces, where the competitors will stay for 2 stages. Diversity is on offer for the five days of this event !
Part of the FIA-FIM World Rally-Raid Championship since its creation in 2022, Morocco, prime land of cross-country rally, will host once again the W2RC final from October 10 to 17 for the protagonists of the 2025 season. Morocco is a vast arena for rally raids, with dirt tracks, sand, stones, dunes that open up possibilities in every register. It is also a sprawling desert riddled with navigational challenges.
ODC, Rallye du Maroc organizer, is committed to offer an event where conviviality is not an empty word. The bivouacs, perched in the heart of the desert, allow the competitors to meet in the evening to exchange, continue or repeat the race.
The best drivers and manufacturers, joined by plenty of amators, are used to be part of the event. The Rallye du Maroc is the last major get-together before the Dakar Rally which is positioned as the first round of the next W2RC season. The new sporting features of the Dakar are often tested beforehand during the Rallye du Maroc.
