KTM Motorsports Manager Pit Beirer says Dakar Rally victory was an “unbelievable boost” for the whole company and a signal of how the company will move forward in 2025.   

The message from KTM is “a big thank you” to Daniel Sanders and the whole KTM Rally team who took a huge victory in the Saudi Arabian deserts in the face of rivals but also on the back of the Austrian company’s current financial situation.

Speaking about the Dakar result in front of the media to Sanders and remarkable rookie Edgar Canet, Beirer extended, “a big thank you from the whole company because this [result] is a signal how we want to go into the year. KTM is not down. We came to the race, you showed what we can do as a company, and this gives a lot of energy.”

Beirer, Motorsports Manager for KTM, admitted that Dakar and the racing had been as much a part of the “discussions” in Mattighofen as they continue to find a path forwards: “We had tough times but during the racing and discussions every day, everybody was on the mobile phone checking every checkpoint where Daniel and the boys are and, yeah, it gave just a boost to the whole company, an unbelievable boost.”

“We talked about it just half an hour ago, it’s [the process of sorting the company out] like a Dakar, every day is a stage: yeah, it’s good in the evening, you’re happy, but next morning you need to perform again. So we all together need to perform some more to take home the big victory.”

The commitment to turn up and race the 2025 Dakar was a decision they took but which clearly boosted the positive outlook they try to put forward. There is a lot of uncertainty around about race teams and manufacturing but this was a clear message and couldn’t have come at a better time – Sanders admitted he felt like he was racing for the company as well as himself and the team.

2025 World Rally-Raid Championship season or not?

The plan is for Sanders to carry his momentum forward into World Rally-Raid Championship round two in Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (February 21-27).

What’s not yet clear is whether they will compete the full 2025 season. They know the huge value of the Dakar to a manufacturer in terms of global branding and awareness it is second only to Formula 1 in motorsport, you race to sell bikes after all.

But beyond that the visibility wains at some of the other W2RC rounds, only peaking again at the final race (usually Morocco) when a world champion is crowned.

“To be in the championship you have a lot of visibility,” says the Red Bull KTM Rally Team manager, Andi Hölzl, “you are on top of the podium, you are present and you can share these moments which are really important for us in the company right now.”

But speaking about the future competitions for the rally team, Hölzl was less clear: “We have some plans going on, we try to participate as much as possible but after Dakar this is still in investigation, let’s say.

“We’re trying to send Daniel Sanders to Abu Dhabi and the rest, we will see what makes sense, we're working on it but as soon as we have more news about that who's going to go where we're going to inform you of course.”

Photo Credit: Edo Bauer + Philip Platzer