Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport arm of Hero MotoCorp, has revealed its 2024 Dakar Rally rider lineup. The only Indian team at Dakar is all set to enter its eighth year in the championship as the rally returns to Saudi Arabia for the fifth consecutive year. Hero MotoSports is bringing back Joaquim Rodrigues, Sebastian Buhler, and Ross Branch, while Joan Barreda Bort is the newest addition to the team.
The 2024 Dakar also sees Hero MotoSports bring new sponsors on board. The team has brought Monster Energy and AlpineStars, which are one of the most recognised brands amidst top motorsport athletes. The brand has also updated the livery on the 2024 Hero 450 rally bike to reflect the new partnerships.
Also Read: Hero MotoSports’ Buhler & Branch Finish In Top 10 In Dakar 2023 Stage 12
Speaking about the team for Dakar 2024, Arun Jaura, Chief Technology Officer, Hero MotoCorp and Team Principal - Hero MotoSports, said, “We are excited to participate in our eighth consecutive Dakar Rally. Hero MotoSports Team Rally has emerged as a top international team in a short span of time and it speaks volumes of our commitment to the sport and product innovation. In 2023, we had a spate of podiums and stage wins across the globe and with our four riders in good form, we are confident of a strong performance at Dakar 2024. The Hero 450 Rally, completely engineered at the Hero Tech Center Germany (TCG), is highly competitive and puts our riders in contention for the top spots. We thank all our fans and partners for their continued support to the team.”
Hero MotoSports finished fourth overall in the World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) 2023, with rider Ross Branch bagging the overall fourth position. This will be Branch's second outing in the Hero colours at the Dakar rally after securing two stage victories in 2023.
The rally will also see Joaquim Rodrigues, the longest-serving rider on the Hero squad, make a return after a year-long recovery. The rider broke his femur during the 2023 Dakar rally, while a subsequent accident injured his right shoulder. Rodrigues brought the team its first-ever Dakar Stage win in 2021.
Rider Sebastian Buhler came close to a Stage win in 2023, finishing Stage 2 in second place. He now aims to end the 2024 rally in a much stronger position. Lastly, Joan Barreda Bort is the newest joinee at Hero and this will be his first outing with the team. The Dakar legend holds 30 stage wins and two top-5 stage finishes to his name in the rally.
The 2024 Dakar Rally is scheduled between January 4-19, and will see the teams traverse through challenging terrains, varied temperatures, changing altitudes and more. The 46th Dakar Rally will feature one prologue and 12 stages spread across 14 days of racing. About 820 competitors racing on 455 vehicles are expected to start from the city of AlUla and finish in Yanbu. The rally will cover 8,000 km and explore about 60 per cent new territories.
The organisers have dedicated two days to racing in the infamous Empty Quarter. The new “48-hour Chrono Stage'' format will be held here and is an upgrade from the marathon stages. All vehicles will have to stop at the nearest bivouac at 4 pm everyday, which promises to make the rally even more interesting.
