“I felt like a 5-years old staring at the Christmas tree!”
CREW FACTS
J.S.
- Jörg is tackling his third Dakar as a competitor, but he’s one of the most experienced people in the bivouac. He first started covering the rally as a journalist in 2002. He has therefore lived the three eras of the race (African, South American, Saudi) and its evolution over the years. Almost a quarter of a century after his arrival on the rally, he is still in love with it!
- Unlike most drivers, who built or bought their car specially to do the Dakar Classic, Jörg Sand already had his car sitting in his garage. The German Mercedes G-Wagon enthusiast built his nut and bolt perfect Jacky Ickx replica back in 2007. He never imagining that one day, it would actually turn a wheel in anger on a Dakar. The creation of the Classic race in 2022 gave him this opportunity.
- He gave his car its baptism by fire in 2023 and loved the experience, so he came back with greater ambition and high expectations in 2024. He got 11th place after a long fight in the Top 10 and won his category. Jörg wants to do even better in 2025. He has worked again on his Mercedes to improve some points, for the third participation of the car.
P.D.
- A big fan of the Dakar, Patrick was a spectator for many years. The creation of the Dakar Classic allowed him to rekindle the dream of doing it as a competitor. The consultant and independent advisor in credit card industry came at the right time: his compatriot Jörg Sand was looking for a co-driver. They signed up for a first rally in May 2023 to see how they worked together, and went to Saudi Arabia in January 2024.
- Amazed by the discovery of the Dakar, Patrick did a very good job in the Mercedes. The German music enthusiast delivered a great performance on the Saudi roads, showing his skills as a regularity rally co-driver. The Rallye Raid Club Germany duo fought in the Top 10 of the general classification, before finishing 11th but winning his old car category. A fabulous experience and a very good result which motivates Patrick to come back this year.
2025 AMBITION
J.S.: “We did a very good race last year. We were 8th overall until the last day. We had a problem and finished 11th, but also 1st in our old car category. That was better than expected! The race was a lot more challenging than the precedent one and what we expected. The Dakar Classic is not an easy trip, but our car is reliable in hard conditions, so that’s good for us. The car is 40 years old so you have to look at some things, and we prepared on certain specific points for the 2025 edition, but the concept of the car is excellent and powerful in the dunes! Our plan is to continue this beautiful adventure, also in 2026 and with more costumers in our team. It doesn’t look too bad, actually we have a lot of people who want to go to the race!”
P.D.: “I was a rookie in 2024, and I’ve been amazed about almost every aspect of the Dakar. I was a rookie in 2024 and I’ve been amazed about almost every aspect of Dakar. I felt like a 5-years old staring at the Christmas tree! We finished 11th, we had fun and it was excellent to see that we were able to be competitive. It was great fun. We have the time, the fitness and a sponsor, so why not doing it again? We have a very good relation in the car, and we’ll now try to touch the Top 10.”
