Daniel Sanders has stamped his authority on the 2025 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, taking a commanding victory and extending his lead in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider fought off a strong challenge from Honda’s Ricky Brabec and Tosha Schareina, who finished second and third, respectively, after a thrilling final stage showdown.
With two stage wins and a solid performance across the six-day rally, Sanders finished nearly six minutes ahead of Brabec. His victory not only avenged his narrow loss at last year’s event but also secured his third straight rally win of the season, following triumphs at Dakar and round one of the W2RC.
Daniel Sanders: “This one is a really great victory to tick off as last time I was here, I lost out on the win on the final day, which was tough. 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.”
HONDA’S DOUBLE PODIUM: BRABEC & SCHAREINA BATTLE TO THE LINE
Behind Sanders, Ricky Brabec and Tosha Schareina went head-to-head for the runner-up spot in a battle that came down to the final kilometres. Brabec had been consistent throughout the event, keeping the pressure on Sanders while fending off a determined charge from his Spanish teammate. Schareina, who won the final stage, nearly snatched second place from Brabec, finishing just 17 seconds behind after more than 14 hours of racing. Despite missing out on P2, the Spaniard impressed in his first Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge appearance, proving his pace with three stage wins across the rally.
Ricky Brabec: “This rally was a battle right to the end. The competition was tight, and with such small gaps between us, every second counted. Sanders rode a solid race, and Tosha was pushing hard on the last day—I knew I had to keep my pace up to hold onto second. The bike felt great, and I’m really happy to leave Abu Dhabi with a podium finish.”
Brabec and Schareina’s strong results have shaken up the World Rally-Raid Championship standings, where they now sit in third and second place, respectively, behind Sanders.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 2
1️⃣ Daniel Sanders (AUS) – KTM – 63 pts
2️⃣ Tosha Schareina (ESP) – Honda – 46 pts
3️⃣ Ricky Brabec (USA) – Honda – 37 pts
NEXT STOP: SOUTH AFRICA
With momentum on his side, Sanders will look to continue his winning streak as the World Rally-Raid Championship heads to South Africa for round three. But with Brabec and Schareina proving to be serious contenders, the battle for the 2025 title is heating up.
The South African Safari Rally runs from May 18–24, marking the next thrilling chapter in this year’s rally-raid season.
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