Heading up Honda’s hopes for a 2024 Dakar victory are Top Americans Ricky Brabec — the only American to win the Dakar circa 2020 — alongside 2023 3rd place finisher Skyler Howes, who signed on in September. The defending FIM Manufacturers’ World Championship title holders are further stacking the deck with 2020 and 2022 Dakar Rally runner-up Pablo Quintanilla. Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren will also be strong in the overall standings after his success over the past two seasons at Andalucia and Abu Dhabi. Chilean rider Jose Ignacio Cornejo and Spaniard Tosha Schareina will also be one to watch after his victory on the Argentine Desafio Ruta 40 last year. All six will be aboard the new Honda CRF450 RALLY.
“I’m looking forward to this edition of Dakar as we will be going in through rocks and riding a bit more in the open desert so that’s good for as I feel like it’s my strong point on the motorcycle,” says once and future king Brabec. “It’s going to be a long 12 days with many new things out there with the 48 hour “Chrono Stage” and the unknown factor of the weather. This is my ninth Dakar, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed and keeping my hopes high for a good outcome.”
The route looks really fun with some new challenges and looking at the differences in terrain with more broken rocks and stones,” adds Howes.”it looks like this year it’ll be very physically demanding which is good for me. I prefer to have a rally like this as it makes things more challenging with the navigation plus this makes for a good rally. I am feeling focused and confident so I’m excited to see what this Dakar can bring us with the new motorcycle.”
The 2024 Dakar Rally is shaping up to be harder than the previous editions as the riders will not only endure 7,967 kilometres of riding across a prologue and 12 stages but it’ll also include the new ‘48-hour chrono’ stage which will test the endurance of man and machine across the legendary Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. There’ll be no communication with the outside world, no help from mechanics and entrants will have no idea where they are in relation to their fellow competitors when they bed down for the night at one of seven bivouacs spread across stage six.
In the words of the creator of the world’s most famous motorsport event, the late Thierry Sabine, “A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind” and this challenge will commence for the Monster Energy Honda riders on Friday 5th January 2024 when the 46th edition will kick off with a 28km Prologue.
