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Carlos Sainz Sr Suffers Scary Dakar Rally Crash As Ford Raptor Flips

Carlos Sainz Sr.'s Dakar Rally hopes took a hit after his Ford Raptor flipped during stage two.

Lydia Mee

Carlos Sainz (ESP) poses for a portrait in Erfoud , Morocco on September 24, 2018
Carlos Sainz (ESP) poses for a portrait in Erfoud , Morocco on September 24, 2018 / Flavien Duhamel / Red Bull Content Pool

Veteran rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr. faced a major challenge at the 2025 Dakar Rally when his Ford Raptor flipped during the second stage of the event. Fortunately, both Sainz and his co-driver, Lucas Cruz, escaped unscathed.

Carlos Sainz Sr. is well-known in the motorsport world for his extensive and successful career. Born in Spain on April 12, 1962, he has made a name for himself as a rally driving legend. Over the years, Sainz has collected an impressive list of accomplishments, including two World Rally Championship titles in 1990 and 1992, and multiple runner-up finishes. Sainz's accolades in the Dakar Rally are also remarkable, with victories in 2010, 2018, 2020, and 2024, which place him among the event's elite.

The 2025 Dakar Rally was anticipated as a significant event for Ford, marking their entrance with the new Raptor T1+, a purpose-built vehicle specifically crafted to endure the Dakar's rigorous challenges. Sainz, along with fellow drivers Mattias Ekstrom and Nani Roma, represented Ford in this competition.

The team and the powerful Raptor T1+ was intended to showcase Ford's capacity to compete in one of the most demanding automotive terrains. The Ford Raptor T1+ was designed with a high-performance V8 engine, FOX suspension, and a robust chassis.

Sainz's accident happened as he was navigating through a sand dune. Even though the vehicle did temporarily get going again after the crash, it faltered soon after due to the extensive damage sustained.

"Carlos Sainz flipped his Ford Raptor at km 327! Thankfully, the crew is unharmed and managed to get back on track, but the car took some heavy damage."

Despite the considerable setback caused by this crash, the Dakar Rally organization confirmed that Sainz and Cruz have resumed their participation in the rally. However, the damage to their vehicle poses a significant challenge.

Dakar Rally shared multiple updates to social media including footage of the crash and the efforts to retrieve the Ford Raptor, which shows the extensive damage.

They later updated fans:

"Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz are back on track!

"The defending champions have been stopped for about 20 minutes. They just passed km 373, trailing leader Yazeed Al Rajhi by 43'14''.

Posting to social media ahead of the day, Sainz sr reflected on the "challenging day", however, he is yet to post an update following the crash. He wrote:

"A challenging day with narrow paths and dense vegetation. Tough to decide whether to stop before the finish. P8 in the end, though finishing further back would’ve been better with no bikes clearing the way tomorrow. Up next is the 48-hour stage, it’ll be intense, but we’re all in!"

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Lydia Mee
LYDIA MEE

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