“The Dakar is a sacred journey for offroad enthusiasts”
CREW FACTS
W-M.L.
- Wang Min Lei is preparing to make his Dakar debut in the Ultimate class as part of the renowned Century Racing team, driving their new CR7.
- The 46-year-old from northern China discovered rally-raid by accident, but it has become a major passion.
- He has taken part in various domestic rallies, including three editions of the prestigious Taklimakan Rally. In 2024 he came 14th overall and sixth among two-wheel-drive cars.
- Wang has been working with Century Racing since 2018 and describes their CR6 and CR7 cars as "fantastic machines".
- He began competing with the talented Du Xuanyi in 2024 and says his co-driver has really improved his driving.
- Wang's main objective is to complete Dakar 2025, but he'd also love to finish as the top rookie in the Ultimates.
D.X.
- This will be a third Dakar outing for Du Xuanyi, who at 26 is one of China's rising offroad stars.
- Du was encouraged to take up motorsport by his father as a teenager and began racing at 18.
- He did his first two editions of the Dakar as a co-driver for Po Tian, who is also returning in 2025 as part of the Hanwei Motorsport team.
- Du and Po were the top all-rookie crew in 2022, finishing 32nd. They improved to 31st in 2023.
- As a driver in the SSV class, Du is a multiple winner of the China Offroad Circuit Championship. He secured the 2024 title a few months before Dakar 2025.
2025 AMBITIONS
W.M.L.: “My introduction to motorsport was quite a coincidence. I was crossing the desert with some friends and discovered that vehicles could be driven like that in the sand. I was intrigued and started learning bit by bit. Over time, I grew to love this sport! I've participated in three editions of the Taklimakan Rally and competed in all the national rally events organised by the Federation of Automobile Sports in China during 2023 and 2024. The Dakar is the largest rally event in the world and a sacred journey for offroad enthusiasts. I feel thrilled and honoured to have the chance to participate in such an event. My main goal is to finish the race. I also hope to compete for the top rookie prize. I started working with Century Racing in 2018. My first race car was from Century Racing, and this CR7 is actually my third car from them. I have a strong preference for their CR6 and CR7 models, which are fantastic machines. My co-driver Du Xuanyi and I share a mentor-friend relationship. He’s one of the top drivers in China and we started working together in 2024. He’s been a tremendous help in improving my driving, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him!”
D.X.: “My father encouraged me to take up cross-country at the age of 13. I started competing as a driver at 18 and won the China Offroad Championship for the first time at 19. The Dakar is a very tough race and has to be treated with the utmost seriousness. I did my first two editions in a T1.2 and there were a lot of difficult moments in the stages, but it was all worth it in the end. Century Racing has a very strong influence in China. This will be my first Dakar with Wang Ming Lei after a year of racing together in China. I'd been in contact with the team for a while, and I officially became Wang's co-driver at the 2024 Tour of Turkey. I would love it if we could finish every stage and help him reach the finish line as the top rookie.”
