The Monster Energy Honda HRC squad has landed in South Africa for round three of the 2025 World Rally-Raid Championship and the highly anticipated debut of the South African Safari Rally.
Set to begin on 19th May from the iconic Sun City resort in the North West Province, the rally presents a brand-new challenge for all competitors. Riders will face 2,645 kilometres of racing, including 1,218 kilometres of timed specials, stretched over a prologue and five demanding stages. The route includes a two-day marathon stage and traverses the open savannah, pushing towards the Botswana border before looping back to Sun City for the finish and the crowning of the inaugural Safari Rally champion.
Tosha Schareina rolls into South Africa off the back of consecutive podium finishes. After a gutsy second place at Dakar—riding through a shoulder injury—and a determined fightback in Abu Dhabi, the Spaniard sits second in the overall standings and is hungry for his first win of the season. “It’s a race I’m really looking forward to,” Schareina said. “Whenever we visit and race in new countries it is an extra motivation and even more so in a country like South Africa. I think it will be a wild race… I’m ready to give gas in the savannah, I’m motivated and I have my HRC team to get a great result.”
His teammate, Ricky Brabec, is also in strong form following his recovery from an injury suffered at the 2024 Rallye du Maroc. Despite a fifth-place finish at Dakar that left him somewhat disappointed, the two-time Dakar champion rebounded with a runner-up spot in Abu Dhabi after an intense duel with Schareina. Currently third in the standings, Brabec is determined to make his mark in South Africa. “I’m very happy to be in South Africa, it is a new location, different terrain and also featuring many animals that we don’t typically see, especially in the USA,” he said. “It’s an equal playing field for most, but we have to stay focused on the unknown… Hopefully at the end of the rally we are sitting in a good position for the overall championship.”
Adrien Van Beveren is another podium contender. The Frenchman, who bagged third place at this year’s Dakar, is experiencing South Africa for the first time and is embracing the adventure. “It’s really cool to discover a new country… South Africa is a big world for adventure when you think about the animals and the savannah,” Van Beveren shared. “HRC have done some good work on the bike, made some improvements, so I can’t wait to try that and enjoy this experience with the whole crew.”
Also aiming to shake things up is Skyler Howes, who is sitting sixth in the standings. The American has been consistent aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY and is keen to break into the top three. South Africa marks new ground for him, and he knows it won’t be an easy ride. “This is the first time I’ve been to South Africa and it’s pretty exciting to come to a new country and to race a new area,” Howes explained. “What it looks like is the trees have thorns on them and so that’s actually going to play an important role… I think navigation will be key… I thought it was going to be a little bit easy, but it looks like it’s going to be tricky and still be a proper rally.”
With final preparations complete—including a successful shakedown test just outside of Sun City—the team is ready to face the African wild. Ruben Faria, General Manager of Monster Energy Honda HRC, said the team is feeling confident after passing all scrutineering checks. “We completed a shakedown yesterday and everything went well, the riders are happy with their bikes and are in good shape,” Faria commented. “It’s a different rally for sure, as the terrain will be new for some riders like Ricky and Skyler… however, the mix of bushes and trees on the stages will make it tricky.”
The stage is set for a spectacular showdown across unfamiliar African terrain, with Monster Energy Honda HRC eyeing victory in what could become one of the calendar’s most iconic events.
