Ford announces Ranger Raptor T1+ will race at Dakar Rally 2024 in Saudi Arabia

DUBAI: An extreme racing version of the Ford Ranger will lead the expansion of Ford Performance global off-road racing to include the iconic Dakar Rally in 2024 and beyond.

Ford Performance has raced and won from Le Mans to Monaco, Daytona to Bathurst and Finke to Ensenada, but it has yet to take on one of the toughest races on the planet — the Dakar Rally, which in January 2024 will be hosted for the fourth year running in Saudi Arabia.

“I think we are committed to this cycle plan that we have in motorsports and always looking for more opportunities where it makes sense, where we can deliver on our pillars, which includes the engineering innovation, tech transfer, the marketing, tying into our name plates and to different regions of the world,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports.

Ford’s commitments recently saw the American manufacturer announce its return to Formula One with reigning world champions Oracle Red Bull Racing from 2026, and over the weekend took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Now it is set to take on the Saudi dunes.

“I was there myself for Dakar earlier this year to see and understand what we had committed to already at that point in time,” Rushbrook added. “And it was fantastic to see the infrastructure that is there, the commitment from Saudi to motorsports, in so many different disciplines. So definitely appreciate the opportunity to compete there.”

The first step in the multi-year plan to compete in the Dakar Rally is to finish and learn in collaboration with longtime partners M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport for vehicle development, servicing and event management.

“To lead the charge at one of the ultimate global off-road events — the Dakar Rally — has