Dakar Rally winners Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will move from the motorcycle category to cars to compete together within the 2025 edition in January.
They will each be aboard the Toyota Hilux T1+ Overdrive Racing for the grueling Saudi Arabia Rally happening from January 3-17.
Price, who won the Dakar in 2016 and 2019, could have Sunderland as his co-driver after the Australian was left and not using a ride because KTM didn’t extend his contract until 2025.
He said on social media: “I'm excited to announce that we're going to Dakar in January. We are very enthusiastic about this chance. We'll be with Overdrive, hop within the T1+ automotive and see what we will do.
“The other good news is that I will be working with good mate Sammy Sunderland, who will sit next to me and see what we can come up with. It will be very exciting for us and a lot of hard work.”
Price and Sunderland want to affix Hubert Auriol, Stephane Peterhansel and Nani Roma because the only men to win the Dakar by each automotive and bike.
Briton Sunderland, who retired from motorcycle racing in August after winning the Dakar in 2017 and 2022, said: “Me and Pricey are going to Dakar. Even saying it out loud sounds pretty wild.
#4 Red Bull GASGAS Factory: Sam Sunderland
Photo: GasGas Factory Racing
“I remember those days in Dakar when, after a protracted, hard day on the bike, we sat within the camp and talked about how nice it could be to sit down within the automotive.
“It all the time seemed a bit far-fetched, but here we’re. I'm very grateful to all the blokes who put in some effort to get this thing done. This is a big help for us, which I'm really grateful for and I hope we will do it justice.
Toyota won the Dakar in 2022 and 2023 with Nasser Al-Attiyah, currently a part of Prodrive's Dacia Sandriders team.
Works Toyota Gazoo Racing's 2025 lineup is more likely to include Lucas Moraes/Armand Monleon i Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz, who took part within the recent Rally of Morocco, which concluded the 2024 World Rally Championship season.
Defending Dakar winner Carlos Sainz Sr will drive for Ford after winning the 2024 edition with Audi when the Blue Oval enters the brand new Raptor T1+.
