Carlos Sainz takes the rollover on his head – But he wants to open a debate, because he finds it too harsh that the FIA did not let him continue.
Defending champion Carlos Sainz was the first big name to drop out of the 2025 Dakar Rally. The Spaniard rolled over on the first day of the 48-hour stage (stage 2A), but was able to continue and finish the second part the next day (stage 2B).
However, a section of the Ford Raptor’s roll cage was damaged in the accident. The FIA commissioners prohibited him from continuing. There had been many discussions in the Ford camp in the bivouac in Bischa on Monday evening.
M-Sport was of the opinion that the damaged part of the tubular frame could be reinforced with a metal part. However, this is not in accordance with the rules. Therefore, the rally was over for Sainz before the third leg.
“According to the rules, you can’t modify something and re-weld it,” Sainz acknowledges the FIA’s decision. ”They inspected the car and discovered that one of the roll bars was very, very slightly damaged.”
“The team said that it was very easy to repair. But the FIA didn’t want to take any risks. But maybe they could have been a bit more flexible about this in this race, especially if you have the guarantee of someone like Ford.”
But the FIA did not accept M-Sport’s suggestions. ”I respect the FIA’s decisions 100 percent. But I think you have to find a balance. If the team believes that they cannot repair the damage, they would not have let me continue.“
”You saw the car,” says Sainz, referring to the FIA at the end of leg 2A. ”You could hardly see that the roll cage was bent. I was allowed to continue. I don’t want to criticize anyone, but I want to open a debate.”
“I’m disappointed, it’s one of the biggest disappointments of my career. But I’ve got grey hair and I know that sometimes this is how racing is. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s always a question of details.”
Sainz takes the blame but criticizes Castera
The veteran takes full responsibility for the accident and the subsequent retirement: “It was my mistake. I approached a dune at 20 km/h that ended very sharply. I was fast enough to roll over.”
“I’m not looking for excuses. It’s happened to me twice already, it’s happened to everyone. It was my responsibility. Maybe the tactics on the first day weren’t right, because I should have lost more time to start further back.”
Sainz was the second car to reach this tricky dune. The Spaniard is critical of the fact that rally director David Castera has planned an extremely difficult first week. After all, there was already the 48-hour stage and also a classic marathon stage.
“This has never been done before. From my point of view, it’s a bit much,” says Sainz. ”Last year, the 48-hour stage was in the second week. It would make more sense to split the marathon and the 48-hour stage between the two weeks.”
Sainz has already made his way home to Spain. After the rollover, he had complained of slight back pain. In Madrid, the 62-year-old had a thorough check-up. He had already injured two vertebrae in the 2023 Dakar.
This time, everything went smoothly. “When I arrived in Madrid, I had a full check-up. It confirmed that I have no back injury. I will be able to resume my training in the coming days.”
Next year, Sainz will be back on the attack in Saudi Arabia with the new Ford Raptor, aiming to score his fifth victory with the fifth brand. His contract with M-Sport also extends to 2026.
