FIA welcome NEW team in 2025 championship announcement

Photo: © IMAGO

FIA

FIA welcome NEW team in 2025 championship announcement

F1's governing body have released a statement over a 2025 change

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Sunday 5 January 2025 12:42 Updated: 13:28

The FIA has announced a major change for 2025, with an official statement revealing a new team to join the ranks of competitive motorsport.

The governing body are in charge of regulating Formula 1, the World Rally Championship (WRC), and the World Endurance Championship (WEC) among many other racing series.

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Now, the FIA World Rally Raid Championship, or W2RC as it is more commonly known, will feature a new team among the pack, as the Ford M-Sport Team have developed the Ranger and the Raptor to compete in the series.

The championship has just gotten underway, with the iconic Dakar Rally remaining the first event in the calendar before the series heads to the Abu Dhabi Desert, the South African Safari, Portugal, and Morocco.

Carlos Sainz Sr, the father of F1 star Carlos Sainz, is the reigning Dakar champion, having won the event four times in 2010, 2018, 2020 and again in 2024.

Carlos Sainz Sr. is the Dakar Rally reigning champion

The Dakar Rally is an iconic motorsport event which severely challenges the series' competitors

Ford enter 2025 racing series

The 2025 edition of the Dakar Rally will run from January 3 until January 17, and will be the only marathon event on this year's calendar.

As the series gets underway for another year, the FIA took to social media platform 'X' to welcome the new team to the ranks after Ford M-Sport had reportedly been preparing to join the series for many years, with rally legend Sainz Sr. joining the team.

"Welcome to Dakar, Ford 🏁," the FIA post read.

"The Ford M-Sport Team have developed the Ranger and then the Raptor away from the spotlight for much of 2023 and 2024. For 2025 the team has registered for the FIA World Rally Raid Championship and will be challenging for both the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships.

"Carlos Sainz is a four-time event winner and the defending champion after his memorable success last January with Team Audi Sport. He again teams up with Lucas Cruz and will be joined by former Audi team-mates Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist and Mitch Guthrie/Dennis Zenz in the three cars registered for Manufacturers’ points. Guthrie makes the step up from the Challenger class.

"Joan ‘Nani’ Roma has won the Dakar on two wheels and in a car and crews the fourth Raptor with fellow Spaniard Alex Haro. He carried out much of the test and development work over recent months and tackled select events last year, including topping the times at the Hungarian Baja in August."

Welcome to Dakar, Ford 🏁

The Ford M-Sport Team have developed the Ranger and then the Raptor away from the spotlight for much of 2023 and 2024. For 2025 the team has registered for the FIA World Rally Raid Championship and will be challenging for both the Manufacturers’ and… pic.twitter.com/Z3PY6OQBjF
— FIA (@fia) January 2, 2025