Two-time Dakar winner and former Rally-Raid World Champion Toby Price will no longer race for Red Bull KTM after the Austrian team elects to not renew the Australian legend’s contract.

It’s no exaggeration to say Toby Price is a legend of two-wheeled off-road sport from his day winning in AORC, representing Australia in the ISDE, Finke Desert Race wins and of course his spectacular achievements in Rally-Raid and Dakar.

In a Dakar career spanning generations and continents, Price has taken two Tuareg trophies and been a contender since his first attempt in 2015 (where he took a stage win and finished third overall).

Most of those major wins, championships and titles came with KTM machinery but no more, as the Red Bull KTM team chooses not to renew Toby’s contract in 2024.

Speaking about the KTM decision, Price says: “KTM has decided to not renew my contract so Dakar 2024 was my last event with them…

“I do feel like I’m still in my prime and going out there fighting for wins, especially at Dakar so it’s unfortunate to not have that opportunity to do it in 2025 but I’m really appreciative of the support they gave me in my career. We’ve been able to do some great things together like win two Dakars and get a couple podiums, a World Championship and our success in Australia too.”

The move comes after the Red Bull KTM Rally team got resoundingly beaten in the 2024 Dakar Rally by Honda. Price finished fifth this year as the combined KTM, Husqvarna and GASGAS team set-up were slow out the blocks in Saudi, were hit by rider injuries, and made some serious mistakes during the event all of which allowed Honda to romp home for the win.

2024 is also the first year we can remember when Red Bull KTM (and both GASGAS and Husqvarna teams) elected to not enter the full FIM World Rally-Raid Championship with any riders, electing instead to race selected events while they aim towards Dakar 2025.

It’s a move which saves them money within the race department, presumably to spend on MotoGP (or is that just the cynics in us?). But it means the riders, and potentially the team, are not as well prepared and dare we say it committed to the Dakar – something they are surely synonymous with over the last 20 years.

As for Price, well, he’s not getting any younger but there’s certainly no age limit on rally-raid where experience definitely counts and there’s no shortage of desire for that third Tuareg golden trophy.

Two wins at Dakar, including with a broken wrist in 2019, were massive career highlights but we also remember Toby’s enduro heritage in Australian off-road, and his ISDE successes (also sometimes despite injury!).

Four-wheels is taking up much of Price’s time these days but it’s clear he wants that third Dakar title on two-wheels still. We look forward to seeing what the big man’s next move is.

Photo Credit: Rally Zone + Marcin Kin + Future7Media