After second place at the Dakar, Ross Branch wins the world title – Hero strengthens with “Nacho” Cornejo – With Sebastian Bühler, a German has a chance of finishing in the top spots
The Hero team can look back on an extremely successful 2024 rally season. First, Ross Branch took second place at the Dakar Rally, breaking the Honda dominance. This was the first podium finish for the Indian brand Hero in this cross-country classic. But for the driver from Botswana, this was just the starting point for the following months.
One month after the Dakar, Branch took second place in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and took the lead in the world championship. He then took fifth place in the Portugal Rally and the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina.
Branch came to the season finale in Morocco as the defending champion. When his rival Ricky Brabec had to retire early after a crash of his Honda, Branch only needed to finish to win the world title. His teammate “Nacho” Cornejo accompanied Branch for the rest of the rally week.
Branch mastered this with confidence and became the eleventh world champion since the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has been awarding this title (since 2003). He is also the first world champion from Africa. The Hero team and Branch have thus shown optimal preparation for the 2025 Dakar.
The Hero 450 Rally is developed and built entirely in Germany by Speedbrain. The team has been working with Hero since 2016. Before that, they celebrated numerous successes in the Dakar Rally and in off-road sports as a works team for BMW/Husqvarna and Honda.
Now the world title has gone to Bavaria, or more precisely to Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim, where Speedbrain is based. “Ross, our shining star, has brought home our most valuable prize – the world championship,” says Wolfgang Fischer happily.
The team manager continues: “Our journey began exactly eight years ago as a small company, with limited resources but big dreams. I am delighted and really proud of what our team has achieved over the years through consistent work and dedication.”
The next big goal is to win the Dakar. In January, Hero will line up in Saudi Arabia with three riders. They are world champion Branch, who will wear the number 1 plate, Ignacio “Nacho” Cornejo and German Sebastian Bühler.
The spearhead is, of course, Branch. “Looking ahead to 2025, I see a bright future for our young team. This is just the beginning,” says the 38-year-old, demonstrating a broad chest. “The world title is one of the most important steps Hero has taken in the right direction.”
“The Dakar will be really good. But we still have a lot of work ahead of us to get to the top of the podium.” With only three drivers, Hero is a relatively small team. KTM has also shrunk to three drivers. Honda has five strong drivers in its line-up.
Bühler is the only German in the top class
With Bühler, there is only one German in the top class of RallyGP who has a chance of finishing in the top 10. Fourteenth place in 2021 was his best finish so far. Last year, Bühler retired in the third stage due to a crash.
In this crash, Bühler had fractured two vertebrae, but surgery was not necessary. He won his first stage in the World Cup at the Portugal Rally. Then, at the beginning of October, he broke a collarbone at the Morocco Rally.
In 2025, the German will start the Dakar for the sixth time. It is his fifth in Saudi Arabia. “It’s good that we were able to compete in a few rallies in 2024. We made some really good changes with Hero over the summer,” says Bühler.
“The bike is almost completely new and all the drivers like the changes. The bike is much better now and is very suitable for the Dakar. My recovery has been going very well since the crash at the Morocco Rally.”
“I think I will arrive at the Dakar in good shape. My goals will depend on my physical condition. If I see that I am not in top form, I will ride to have fun and try to help the team.”
Cornejo is about to start his tenth Dakar at the age of 30. The Chilean has been driving for the Honda team for the past six years. Cornejo is one of the top drivers, having clinched three stage victories in the last edition alone.
In recent years, Cornejo was one of the favorites to win. In 2021, he was only one minute behind the overall lead until he crashed on the tenth stage. In 2024, technical problems in the final days cost him a possible podium finish.
