Press Area.

THREE WEEKS OF
HEAT AND COLD, STONES AND SAND

The Dakar Rally puts professional drivers to the test both mentally and physically. So it goes without saying that a safe retreat is needed at the end of each stage. Carado helped the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team at the 2024 Dakar to master the challenges of the desert with the I447, I338 and T459. A conversation with Team Manager Andreas Hölzl about the sources of power between comfort, technology and team spirit.

 

 

DEAR MR HÖLZL, PLEASE START BY INTRODUCING YOURSELF AND YOUR TEAM:

We are the Red Bull KTM Factory Rally Racing Team, one of the most successful off-road rally teams in history. We have been competing in the Dakar Rally for decades. And with incredible success: 18 consecutive victories between 2001 and 2019. And the most recent victory in 2023.


IN A FEW WORDS: WHAT MAKES THE DAKAR RALLY SPECIAL FOR YOU?:

The Dakar Rally is one of the toughest races in the world. Three weeks in the desert! Dakar is a huge and extremely exciting adventure for the drivers and the entire support team.


WHICH RIDERS ARE ACTUALLY TAKING PART IN THE DAKAR 2024?:

We started with five riders: Toby Price (winner 2016 & 2019), Kevin Benavides (winner 2021 & 2023), Sam Sunderland (winner 2017 & 2022), Luciano Benavides (Rally World Champion 2023), and Daniel Sanders. 


In the conditions of the desert, it is not only important to be able to rely on the technology and the team, but also on your own concentration. How has the collaboration with Carado helped you with this?

Yes, it's important that the drivers' entire focus is on the race. This means that we want to organise their life in the desert in the best possible way. This requires a motorhome that offers comfort and an ideal place to sleep in order to regain strength. That's what Carado offered us this year and our drivers felt very comfortable.

 

Do you remember any specific situations in which the drivers were happy to be able to retreat into the motorhome?

There's always a lot going on at the Dakar Rally, be it from the press, fans or organisers. After an exhausting stage, our drivers naturally take time for everything. Afterwards, it's nice to have a safe and cosy place to retreat to. They have always found this in the Carado motorhomes. A stable and peaceful base.

 

How did the equipment accommodate this?

The Carado vehicles offer enough storage space and compartments for all the drivers' favourite things. Not just their equipment, but also their favourite snacks or souvenirs from home.

HOW HAVE THE VEHICLES SUPPORTED TEAM BUILDING? AFTER ALL, SHARING A HOME ON WHEELS CERTAINLY BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER:

Absolutely. Having dinner together in the motorhome in the evening after a tough "battle" to win the stage, hanging out with your "mate" and exchanging ideas - for us, that's great and warm camaraderie. And that developed above all through living together in the Carado.


HOW WERE THE MOTORHOMES INTEGRATED INTO THE ROUTE PLANNING?:

In addition to the Carado vehicles, our team fleet consists of four lorries, three buses and a Sprinter. The motorhomes travelled the assistance route from Bivouac to Bivouac every day together with the others. After just a few days, this team was already a well-rehearsed team and the motorhomes were safe and comfortable companions on the Saudi country roads.


WHAT TECHNICAL ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN MADE TO WITHSTAND THE EXTREME CONDITIONS OF THE DAKAR?:

At the Dakar, all assistance vehicles are equipped with a special navigation device with the road book loaded onto it. This, as well as a few holders for mobile phones. But these are the only and few adaptations.


TO CONCLUDE: IS THERE ONE MOMENT OF THE DAKAR THAT PARTICULARLY STICKS IN YOUR MIND?:

It is extremely difficult to capture three weeks in a single moment. The team has a strong team spirit. We go through good and bad times together. This spirit made every single moment at the Dakar unforgettable.


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