“This Dakar will be unpredictable; we'll have to be strategic”
CREW FACTS…
S.L.
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The native of Alsace is the greatest traditional rally driver in history, with nine WRC titles between 2004 and 2012 with the Citroën team.
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In addition to his long reign in rallying, Loeb displayed his driving skills in World Touring Car Championship (third in 2014 and 2015), at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (second in 2006), and in rallycross (fourth in 2017 and 2018). 2012, he added an X-Games gold medal and victory at Pikes Peak in a Peugeot 208 (2013) to his collection.
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The former gymnast took up the Dakar challenge in 2016 and immediately became one of its leading protagonists, with five podium finishes in eight participations. A steadfast rival of Nasser Al Attiyah, Loeb is sixth on the all-time list of stage winners with his 28th victory in January.
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At 50, Loeb's quest for a Dakar victory continues with a new outfit. After stints with Peugeot, PH Sport and BRX, he is taking up the Dacia challenge in a bid to win both the Saudi Arabian event and the W2RC title, which notably eluded him in 2022 (second).
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If successful, Loeb will become the first Dakar winner behind the wheel of a brand-new car since Ari Vatanen, who won in 1991 in a Citroën ZX. However, the team headed by Jean Todt at the time was working based on the Peugeot 205 and 405 victories.
F.L.
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Following in the footsteps of his father, Jean-Marie Lurquin, co-driver of Jean-Louis Schlesser with whom he finished third in the 2004 Dakar, the Belgian made his Dakar debut in 2005, teaming up with Chinese driver Lang Xu (44th).
2025 AMBITIONS
S.L.: “We've performed well for at least two years but still need to put everything together to win. Whether it's punctures, broken wishbones or other problems, there's always something stopping us from winning. I'd like to see us get there! I hope the new car will be more reliable. But you must also remember that this Dakar will be unpredictable, given the route. A car that opens the stage is inevitably slower, so we'll have to be strategic, with five stages on separate routes. Without the motorcycle tracks, navigation is an entirely different story. There's also the matter of the 48-hour marathon stage, which will require us to cover almost 1,000 km with six wheels... it's going to be quite a challenge for everyone.
This year, preparation with Dacia has been my priority, with five test sessions in addition to the Rally of Morocco. Both cars performed well (the Sandriders of Al Attiyah and Loeb finished first and second on the Rally of Morocco), but there might be a question of managing the temperature. And we've also seen that our rivals are fast - the new Mini is surprising, for example. In any case, Fabian and I have a lot of experience: on the Dakar, we're still learning, but we know how to react without getting caught out. I don't know if I'm confident about going for the win, but I'm optimistic. I know I prefer this car to last year's.”
F.L.: “Looking at the route in detail, I can see that we'll be right in the thick of things, and I like that. We'll have to rely even more on strategy because the question of opening the stage will come up regularly. In this respect, I know Seb and I are always on the same page; there are no two ways of thinking in the car. Last year, the night before entering the Empty Quarter, we tried a daring move by deliberately taking a penalty - we had no choice! It shows that we can be creative. Strategy is also a question of adapting to what others are doing.
Working with Seb in the car and performing at his level has been a big challenge over the last three editions. But we like working together, we're getting better every year... and we're hungry! Seb drives very fast, but he also understands that he has to contribute to the navigation and knows how to ease off when the going gets tough. He varies his pace to suit the conditions and terrain.”
