“The challenge of the desert is the very essence of the Dakar”
Crew facts
MA
- Manuel Andujar occupies a prominent place in quad racing history. The Argentinian won the 2021 and 2023 Dakar Rally and won the world championship title in 2021 and 2024.
- This exceptional racer debuted in quadcross at the age of 18. After racing in the United States and Argentina for three seasons, he switched to rally raid. He made his Dakar debut in 2018, finishing 29th. The following year, he finished fifth. He claimed fourth place in the 2020 edition in the Saudi Arabian desert.
- Following the elimination of the quad category from the Dakar Rally, Andujar turned his attention to the SSV category. He made his debut at the 2024 Morocco Rally alongside compatriot Ronnie Graue and finished runner-up in the Experimental category.
- His first Dakar in an SSV proved challenging, and he struggled to adapt to the demands of driving a car. He finished only 28th but gained valuable experience.
- The successes achieved during his career have not changed the humble lifestyle of this lad from the interior of Buenos Aires province, in the heart of the Argentine pampas.
- A Boca Juniors supporter, he follows the team to every stadium and devotes hours to his horse ‘Ofelia’, dog ‘Dakar’, canary ‘Rally’ and puppy ‘Taton’. This year, ‘Manu’ comes with all his experience and a new co-driver, aiming to add another glorious milestone to his list of achievements.
AF
- Andrés Frini was only 12 years old when he witnessed the 2009 Dakar Rally pass through his province of Cordoba. At the time, he had no idea that one day he would be part of it.
- Since 2019, the Argentine has become one of the country's iconic quad racers, winning the 2019 and 2024 CaNav national championship, and the 2022 FIM Latin American 4x2 quad title.
- Andrés met Manuel Andujar during the 2018 CaNav national championship. The two competed in an atmosphere of mutual respect. During the transition from quad to UTV, Manuel invited Andrés to join him at SARR 2025.The duo then participated in the Chilean rally raid championship.
- Recently, they finished fourth overall in the decisive Morocco Rally.
Ambition
M.A.: “To be honest, my first Dakar in a car was a unique experience. I found myself a beginner... with seven Dakars under my belt! I thoroughly enjoyed it; it was very competitive. My co-driver, Ronnie (Graue), and I got on extremely well, and he helped me a lot in my first year to understand how "car racing" works.
This year, I am teaming with Andrés (Frini), whom I have known for several years. We have even worked together on the Desafio Ruta 40. He is an excellent navigator, as proven by his two victories in the SARR quad category. He won two titles despite not having the best equipment. What I like most about him is his racing passion and commitment to the team, qualities he demonstrates every day.
When it comes to international competitions, it's always good to compete in a world championship event like the Morocco Rally. To be honest, we left happy with our victory in W2RC, even though we weren't able to win the general classification, because it was complicated: we lost several days testing different developments for the 2026 Dakar, but they didn't deliver the expected results.
As for the route of the next edition, I always say the Dakar is tough, regardless of the location and format. The marathon stages and all these innovations add an extra layer of interest, but the desert's challenge remains the essence of the rally.
My ambition for the Dakar? Of course, whatever category I'm racing in, the goals are clear: to improve day by day, to be competitive on the clock and, if hard work and luck are on our side, to get a taste of glory.”
A.F.: “I got into rally raids and won national titles as well as the Latin American championship in 2022. I also won the SARR twice.
I remember that Manu (Andujar) and I started crossing paths during the 2018 CaNav. We got on very well right from the start. There was a rivalry, of course, but it was a respectful one. In 2023, when the DR40 returned to Argentina, we met again, and I offered my services as a mechanic. A year later, I went to work with Manu in this world championship race.
Manu and I moved away from quad racing because several good drivers stopped racing, and the category lost its appeal. That's when we started the transition to UTV. Manu suggested we do a test, and then we raced in the SARR 2025. Everything went really well; we raced the whole season in Chile and decided to go to Morocco.
The Morocco Rally was a great learning experience: complying with stringent FIA regulations, managing race and rest times, and start times in a very professional environment. It was very tough but fast, on very rough, very bumpy terrain.
We are now heading to the Dakar to win the most challenging rally in the world, which Manu has already won twice. We are going to fight for victory.”
