The names of Toby Price and Sam Sunderland will be familiar to all Dakar Rally fans—as competitors in the motorcycle category, they have racked up an impressive four Dakar wins between them. Australia’s Price took the title in 2016 and 2019, with the UK’s Sunderland standing on top of the podium in 2017 and 2022. Price is also ninth on the all-time list of Dakar stage wins, with 16 to his credit.
For 2025, the two Dakar legends are ringing in the changes. Not only will they be switching from two wheels to four, but they have teamed up to take on the challenging dunes of Saudi Arabia together. They have entered the Ultimate (or T1) Class and will be driving a Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ powered by Motul.
Just like the team inside it, the Toyota Hilux Overdrive T1+ has made regular appearances on the Dakar podium. Price, who proved his vehicle credentials by winning the Finke Desert Race in Australia as well as the Baja 500 earlier this year, will assume driving responsibilities, with Sunderland putting all his desert navigation experience to excellent use as co-driver.
Their vehicle also comes with an exceptional Dakar legacy, with the Belgium-based Overdrive Racing team also having achieved several previous Dakar wins. This combination of technical expertise, knowledge and skill will ensure that Price and Sunderland are among the favourites for the Dakar Rally 2025, and the distinctive black and red livery of their Toyota Hilux will be impossible to ignore.
The pairing of Price and Sunderland powered by Motul will be the first time that two Dakar motorcycle champions have competed together in a car category. Entering the ultimate rally raid event as a team rather than as rivals will entail not just becoming familiar with their vehicle and honing their existing skills, but also working on their in-car communication and sharing responsibilities.
“Teaming up with Overdrive Racing in a T1+ Car is a dream come true,” commented Price, speaking to Red Bull. “It’s an advantage being two bike guys in one car. Surely, we will make mistakes and things will go wrong but at the end of the day we are going to have some bike lines in front of us as well as car lines so once we get into the groove, we will be good from there,” he added.
Co-driver Sunderland, also speaking to Red Bull, outlined that he is “Looking forward to this new adventure. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. I am happy that I have a cage around us and a seatbelt but I’m still nervous.” He added “It’s incredibly exciting to see everything come to life after months of back-and-forth emails and WhatsApp messages to piece it all together… I’m so grateful to everyone who helped get us to the start line of the Dakar Rally.”
“We’re extremely excited to partner with two Dakar Rally legends in the same vehicle,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul General Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “The Dakar is the ultimate test for our range of quality oils and lubricants, and with Toby and Sam pushing for victory, we’ll get firsthand feedback on just how well our products perform in the toughest possible conditions,” she added.
To learn more about Motul’s product range and sponsored athletes, visit Motul SA.
For all the latest Dakar Rally 2025 updates, visit Dakar.
