Sanjay Takale set to become first Indian at Dakar in cars' category

Rally driver Sanjay Takale is set to become the first-ever Indian to participate in the four-wheel section of any class at the Dakar Rally 2025, to be held in Saudi Arabia from January 3 to 17. Takale, who became the first Indian to win an Asia Pacific Rally Championship title (APRC) in the production class, has partnered with Compagnie Saharienne, a French Team, and will race a Toyota Land Cruiser HZJ78 at the 2025 Dakar Classic for 14 days and over 8,000 km, including 5,000 kms of 12 special stages.

"My goal is to simply experience the might of Dakar and have fun driving in the dunes. It is a long journey and will be a good learning experience," said Takale.

Takale began his career with motocross races in June 1987 and has won over 100 trophies till 2001 and bid goodbye to two-wheelers after winning the bike National round at Nashik as a TVS factory rider.


In 2009, he started endurance rallies and is now a veteran in the Malaysian rallies and Indian National Rally Championship events. A regular competitor in APRC, Takale became the first Indian to taste success, winning the production class title in 2013.

In 2018, Takale made World Rally Championship3 debut at Rally Finland and bagged a creditable 14th place in his class behind the wheel of a Ford Fiesta R2 and repeated it at the 2019 edition.

In 2022, he represented Team India at the FIA Motorsport Games and finished eighth in his class.

Takale, who works as a chief advisory officer of a transportation company named aerpace, will have Frenchman Maxime Raud as his co-driver in the 2025 Dakar Classic, which is run along with the main Dakar event.