"My dream has finally come true"

One of China's most talented drivers will be getting her first taste of the Dakar in 2024. Xiangyan Sun has always had a passion for cars, and first began racing them at national offroad events in 2012. Consistently top of the pile in women's categories, the 50-year-old began to expand her horizons by entering tougher long-distance rallies such as the iconic Taklimakan Rally, where she continued to post impressive results. Her undeniable talent eventually brought her to the attention of the HanWei Motorsport team, and founder Wei Han has taken her under his wing for the biggest rally of them all in 2024. It has been a decade since Xiangyan first heard about the Dakar, and she is delighted to be making her "unattainable" dream a reality. She will be joined in Saudi Arabia by friend and regular co-driver Yu Tian, who is also making his Dakar debut. With the support of HanWei Motorsport and Wei himself -who set a new Chinese record by finishing eighth in the cars last year- the duo are hoping to see the finish line in Yanbu. While Wei has switched to a T1+ Red-Lined Nissan for this edition, Xiangyan and Yu will be competing in the car which has brought the team so much success in the past: a brand-new SMG buggy. Very few Chinese women have taken part in the Dakar, but if the crew of car 256 live up to their potential, they could well end up blazing a trail for budding female drivers both at home and abroad.

X.S.: “I've always liked cars. I am good at desert cross-country. The first time I heard about the Dakar was in 2013. Back then, it was an unattainable dream for me. The Dakar is the ultimate dream of any racing driver. Now I have accumulated many years of experience on my racing journey, and it's very exciting to be taking part in the Dakar for the first time. My dream has finally come true. I have a very good relationship with Wei Han. He is my teacher. In order to participate in this Dakar, he shared a lot of his racing experience and gave me a lot of technical guidance. Yu Tian and I have taken part in many competitions together. We cooperate well inside the car and we are good friends outside of it. The goal of this Dakar is to finish the rally. I also hope to get to know more outstanding racers at the Dakar and improve my skills.”

Y.T.: “I got involved in offroad racing because it's my favourite kind of motorsport. And luckily, through Xiangyan Sun, I'm now stepping onto the Dakar stage. When you face the prospect of tackling the world's most difficult rally, you feel a sense of awe, but inside I am very excited! We're going to learn a lot as we handle the challenges of Dakar. I started out as a co-driver. Through my efforts in domestic cross-country competitions, I came to the attention of the HanWei Motorsport team and ended up joining them. Xiangyan and I got to know each other at national events. She is currently the women's Chinese champion in cars. I'm really looking forward to appearing on the Dakar stage with her."