Daniel Sanders put on a commanding performance in the final stage of the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, securing victory and extending his lead in the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship as the rally wrapped up in Abu Dhabi.
After leading out the final stage, the Australian crossed the final stage finish line in 4th place with a 5′47″ advantage over his closest rival, Ricky Brabec, in the virtual overall standings. Brabec fought hard to defend his runner-up spot, narrowly holding off Tosha Schareina, making it two Honda riders on the podium. Luciano Benavides finished just outside the top three, 8′01″ behind Sanders, while Adrien Van Beveren rounded out the overall top five at 9′52″.
“This one is a really great victory to tick off. Last time I was here, I lost out on the win on the final day, which was tough,” Sanders said. “I felt great all week, and it’s amazing to have won three races in a row now. I’m really enjoying riding, my KTM is running perfectly, and I can’t thank everyone in the team enough for their hard work to get us to this point.”
With this win, Sanders becomes the first rider since Sam Sunderland in 2022 to claim victory at Abu Dhabi after winning the Dakar Rally. His victory extends his lead in the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) standings, now sitting at 63 points, ahead of Schareina (46 points) and Brabec (37 points).
Brabec’s strong ride at Abu Dhabi allowed him to overtake Adrien Van Beveren (35 points) in the championship standings, securing third place overall. Meanwhile, Luciano Benavides (33 points) ensured KTM remains atop the manufacturers’ standings with 96 points, just ahead of Honda (90 points).
A New Era for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Now in its 34th edition, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is renowned for its 100% sand terrain and highly technical routes. This year, the Emirates Motorsport Organization (EMSO) reimagined parts of the race, incorporating over 60% entirely new terrain across the 1,920 km rally. The event also started in Al Ain rather than Abu Dhabi, with the rally caravan moving through Mezaira’a in the Al Dhafra region, the gateway to the Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali), before returning to Abu Dhabi for the traditional finish. Riders also tackled a Marathon Stage, camping overnight in one of the most remote parts of the UAE at the famous “Milky Way spot” in the Al Qua’a region.
Brabec’s Late Charge Secures Second Place
Ricky Brabec showcased remarkable consistency throughout the rally, and the final stage was no exception. As he ramped up the pace to close the gap, Daniel Sanders maintained his solid lead, while Tosha Schareina put in a final push to challenge for second place. In the end, Brabec held his ground, securing the runner-up position by just 5′47″ over Schareina.
“The final stage was good—just full gas,” Brabec said. “I’m happy to be here at the finish line and looking forward to the next round. I broke my leg in October, so at the Dakar Rally I wasn’t exactly 100%. I’ve been working on my knee, and now my leg feels a lot better. We made a big step in the right direction with the bike, and I’m happy with that.”
Tosha Schareina’s performance was impressive, as he claimed the prologue and three stage wins on his way to his first Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge podium. He also handled the challenges of navigating the dunes and starting multiple stages as the first rider—a significant disadvantage in rally racing.
“With the times so close after yesterday, I tried to push to win the stage, but I came away with third place overall,” Schareina said. “It was not an easy rally—it was outside of my comfort zone in the dunes. Yesterday, I lost too much time opening the stage, but that’s part of the game. We don’t have this kind of terrain in Spain and Europe, but if you want to be world champion, you have to be fast on all kinds of terrain. So I have to adapt and improve.”
Benavides Falls Just Short of the Podium
Luciano Benavides came out strong at round two, starting with a second-place finish in the prologue and third on stage one, immediately putting himself in early contention for the lead. A solid runner-up result on stage three kept him firmly in the top three, but after pushing hard to overtake the leader on the penultimate stage, a slight drop in pace saw him finish seventh, costing him valuable time. Despite crossing the finish line of the final stage in third, he narrowly missed out on an overall podium result by just under two minutes.
“So that’s the rally finished here in Abu Dhabi, and I’m happy to have finished in fourth,” Benavides said. “Stage five was a really fast stage with fewer off-piste tracks, and those conditions aren’t my favorite, so I’m still trying to find my balance and confidence there. It’s a shame to just miss out on the podium, but it’s a consistent result, which is positive. I’m really happy for the team to have won again, and I’m happy with the bike. I can’t wait to get racing again and continue improving.”
Van Beveren Focuses on South Africa
Adrien Van Beveren, the 2023 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge winner, was content with finishing the rally, despite placing fifth overall—a result that fell short of his expectations. With a break before the next World Rally-Raid Championship round in South Africa, the Frenchman plans to intensify his training and come back stronger.
“It’s always nice to finish a race. I pushed hard and gave it my best, trying to be as fast as possible,” Van Beveren said. “Rallies are tough, but I did enjoy it. I gave my best every day, so I have no regrets. I couldn’t achieve the result I was looking for, but this is racing. I’ll go back home, regroup, and train again for the next one.”
Nacho Cornejo and Hero MotoSports Gain Ground
It was also one of the best performances from Nacho Cornejo in recent times. The Chilean, who joined Hero MotoSports last year, showcased an equally commendable ride at Dakar 2025. As the lone Hero rider left in the race, he held on until the end and finished with a solid sixth place overall, after taking seventh in the final stage.
“I’m glad to have made it to the finish line of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2025,” Cornejo said. “We kept pushing and were fighting for the podium until the last stage. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it, but I’m happy that we gave it our all. A big thank you to my team, mechanics, engineers, physio, managers, and everyone working tirelessly in the background. We’ll come back stronger!”
With 24 points after two rounds, Cornejo has now moved up to sixth place in the World Championship standings.
Docherty Dominates Rally2 with Historic Clean Sweep
In the Rally2 class, Michael Docherty delivered an unprecedented clean sweep, winning every stage of the W2RC round. The South African claimed victory by 34′26″ over defending champion Konrad Dąbrowski, with 2023 winner Tobias Ebster finishing third, 51′25″ behind Docherty.
Next Stop: South African Safari Rally
The next stop on the W2RC calendar is a brand-new addition—the South African Safari Rally in May 2025. This event will be a home race for Hero MotoSports rider Ross Branch, who hails from Botswana. With Branch’s local expertise, Hero aims to capitalize on the unique conditions of the region and continue its strong championship push.
| 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Stage 5 – Final | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Rider | Class | Number | Team | Time | Gap | Bonus/Penalty |
| 1 | T. Schareina (ESP) | GP | #68 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 02:03:27 | – | – |
| 2 | R. Brabec (USA) | GP | #9 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 02:04:58 | +01:31 | – |
| 3 | L. Benavides (ARG) | GP | #77 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 02:05:49 | +02:22 | – |
| 4 | D. Sanders (AUS) | GP | #4 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 02:06:34 | +03:07 | -00:50 |
| 5 | A. Van Beveren (FRA) | GP | #42 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 02:07:19 | +03:52 | – |
| 6 | S. Howes (USA) | GP | #10 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 02:08:52 | +05:25 | – |
| 7 | J. Cornejo Florimo (CHI) | GP | #11 | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 02:09:30 | +06:03 | – |
| 8 | M. Docherty (RSA) | R2 | #22 | SRG Motorsports | 02:10:34 | +07:07 | – |
| 9 | T. Ebster (AUT) | R2 | #96 | SRG Motorsports | 02:12:45 | +09:18 | – |
| 10 | R. Barbosa (CHI) | R2 | #41 | Xraids Experience | 02:14:34 | +11:07 | – |
| 11 | M. Ventura (POR) | R2 | #34 | Old Friends Rally Team | 02:16:35 | +13:08 | – |
| 12 | K. Dabrowski (POL) | R2 | #26 | Duust Rally Team | 02:16:44 | +13:17 | – |
| 13 | A. Korlaet (CHI) | R2 | #39 | Xraids Experience | 02:23:06 | +19:39 | – |
| 14 | H. Alali (UAE) | R2 | #57 | Desert Spirit | 02:40:59 | +37:32 | – |
| 15 | M. Riva (ITA) | R2 | #37 | SRG Motorsports | 02:42:37 | +39:10 | – |
| 16 | E. Sokolovskij (LTU) | R2 | #53 | AG Dakar School | 02:44:14 | +40:47 | +00:20 |
| 17 | T. Childs (GBR) | R2 | #88 | Vendetta Racing | 02:44:41 | +41:14 | – |
| 18 | K. Erdenebileg (MGL) | R2 | #52 | HT Rally Raid | 02:44:56 | +41:29 | +15:00 |
| 19 | M. Loj (POL) | Q | #115 | Poland National Team | 02:45:19 | +41:52 | +01:00 |
| 20 | J. Gerlach (GER) | R2 | #99 | JG Racing | 02:45:28 | +42:01 | – |
| 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Final Overall Standings | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Rider | Class | Number | Team | Time | Gap | Bonus/Penalty |
| 1 | D. Sanders (AUS) | GP | #4 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 14:20:56 | – | -00:16 |
| 2 | R. Brabec (USA) | GP | #9 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 14:26:43 | +05:47 | -02:40 |
| 3 | T. Schareina (ESP) | GP | #68 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 14:27:00 | +06:04 | – |
| 4 | L. Benavides (ARG) | GP | #77 | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing | 14:28:57 | +08:01 | -00:53 |
| 5 | A. Van Beveren (FRA) | GP | #42 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 14:30:48 | +09:52 | -00:58 |
| 6 | J. Cornejo Florimo (CHI) | GP | #11 | Hero Motosports Team Rally | 14:33:29 | +12:33 | – |
| 7 | S. Howes (USA) | GP | #10 | Monster Energy Honda HRC | 14:39:13 | +18:17 | – |
| 8 | M. Docherty (RSA) | R2 | #22 | SRG Motorsports | 14:46:04 | +25:08 | -00:47, +02:00 |
| 9 | K. Dabrowski (POL) | R2 | #26 | Duust Rally Team | 15:20:30 | +59:34 | -00:38 |
| 10 | T. Ebster (AUT) | R2 | #96 | SRG Motorsports | 15:37:29 | +01:16:33 | +16:00 |
| 11 | R. Barbosa (CHI) | R2 | #41 | Xraids Experience | 15:39:50 | +01:18:54 | +03:00 |
| 12 | M. Ventura (POR) | R2 | #34 | Old Friends Rally Team | 15:53:23 | +01:32:27 | – |
| 13 | A. Korlaet (CHI) | R2 | #39 | Xraids Experience | 16:09:20 | +01:48:24 | – |
| 14 | K. Erdenebileg (MGL) | R2 | #52 | HT Rally Raid | 17:59:20 | +03:38:24 | +30:00 |
| 15 | H. Alali (UAE) | R2 | #57 | Desert Spirit | 18:57:14 | +04:36:18 | – |
| 16 | T. Childs (GBR) | R2 | #88 | Vendetta Racing | 19:05:31 | +04:44:35 | +00:10 |
| 17 | M. Riva (ITA) | R2 | #37 | SRG Motorsports | 19:49:45 | +05:28:49 | – |
| 18 | M. Hertlein (GER) | R2 | #51 | HT Rally Raid | 20:04:21 | +05:43:25 | – |
| 19 | W. Abdul (IND) | R2 | #44 | Xraids Experience | 20:08:37 | +05:47:41 | +15:00 |
| 20 | M. Chalmers (AUS) | R2 | #86 | BOAC Racing | 20:11:46 | +05:50:50 | +02:00 |
| 2025 World Rally Raid Championship Standings | Pos. | Rider | Team/Manufacturer | Points | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D. Sanders (AUS) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) | 63 | 38 (1.) | 25 (1.) | – | – | – |
| 2 | T. Schareina (ESP) | Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) | 46 | 30 (2.) | 16 (3.) | – | – | – |
| 3 | R. Brabec (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) | 37 | 17 (5.) | 20 (2.) | – | – | – |
| 4 | A. Van Beveren (FRA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) | 35 | 24 (3.) | 11 (5.) | – | – | – |
| 5 | L. Benavides (ARG) | Red Bull KTM Factory Racing (KTM) | 33 | 20 (4.) | 13 (4.) | – | – | – |
| 6 | J. Cornejo Florimo (CHL) | Hero Motosports Team Rally (Hero) | 24 | 14 (7.) | 10 (6.) | – | – | – |
| 6 | S. Howes (USA) | Monster Energy Honda HRC (Honda) | 24 | 15 (6.) | 9 (7.) | – | – | – |
