"I have learned a great deal about myself"
Crew facts
- Although he is now a factory Hero rider, Ross Branch was an airline pilot in his native Botswana for many years. He still flies part-time between rallies.
- After discovering motorcycling and rally raiding in Botswana's open spaces, he entered the Dakar Rally in 2019, finishing as the best rookie in 13th place overall. A year later, Branch continued to impress with his first stage win.
- His results earned him a place with the factory Yamaha team. However, his two Dakars with the Japanese constructor ended in retirement.
- Branch began a new chapter in his motorcycling career when he joined the Indian Hero team. It was a decision that paid off, as he competed with the best, winning five special stages and, above all, finishing second in the 2024 Dakar Rally, just 10 minutes behind the winner, Ricky Brabec.
- After winning the 2024 W2RC world championship title, last season was not his most successful. He first suffered a concussion during the previous Dakar, then had to drop out due to mechanical failure in Abu Dhabi and a crash in Portugal, and failed to make the top 10 in the Safari Rally and Morocco Rally. Dubbed the ‘Ferrari of the Kalahari’ by a fan back home, Ross Branch will logically be out for revenge in the 2026 Dakar.
Ambition
"2025 was a pretty interesting year for me. Not exactly what we had hoped for. It started with a crash at Dakar. That wasn't very pleasant. And then we had mechanical problems in Abu Dhabi, and then in South Africa, we were extremely unlucky. I hit a bird and, unfortunately, broke the oil cooler.
With so many setbacks, it was just really hard to keep coming back. But I learned a lot about myself. The results don't reflect how well the year has gone in developing the bike. The team has been absolutely amazing and has done everything to produce the best possible bike for us for the 2026 Dakar.
I am really looking forward to the 2026 Dakar. They have done all the work. The rest is up to us: to go and do our best. I can't wait. The Dakar has always been a dream come true for me, every time I find myself on the starting line. It's going to be an incredible rally. The team definitely deserves a good result. That's what we're going to do. We're going to give it everything we've got."
