Ford is leaving no stone unturned leading up to Dakar

Preparations for Ford's return to Dakar in 2024 are well under way, with new announcements regarding the provisional driver line-up and some additional technical highlights on the Ranger. M-Sport and Neil Woolridge Motorsport, in partnership with Ford Performance, will contest the 2023 Baja Spain Aragon later this month in the Ford Ranger T1+ racecar – the exact vehicle currently competing in the local Rally-Raid Championship. 

The team will use the upcoming international race to fine-tune vehicle setup and performance and gain experience in conditions that resemble those of the Dakar Rally.

Behind the wheel will be veteran off-road driver Nani Roma and local hero Gareth Woolridge. They'll be partnered by their familiar co-drivers, Alex Haro and Boyd Dreyer.

Nani Roma is no stranger when it comes to off-road endurance racing, having competed in 25 Dakar rallies and being one of a select few who has won the rally on both two and four wheels. His Dakar Rally record includes five top-three finishes, including two victories with multiple manufacturers.

Gareth Wooldridge's motorsport credentials are also impressive after receiving another boost with victory at the recent 1 000km Kalahari-Botswana Desert Race. He currently leads the 2023 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) at the half-way mark.

Although it hasn't been officially confirmed that this driver pairing will be retained for Dakar, one could reasonably assume that the team wouldn't want to disrupt anything with Dakar less than six months away.

The Ranger T1+ has already undergone a few upgrades heading into the Aragon Rally. An intense development programme has seen M-Sport and NWM complete over 10 000km, crisscrossing the colder temperatures of France in winter