Ford’s 2024 Dakar entrant revealed as new threat for Toyota

Ford Motor Company has officially confirmed its entry into next year Dakar’s Rally as a works supported outfit with the locally build Ranger Raptor T1+.

Joint effort

Based on the current model used in the local South African Rally-Raid Championship, the T1+ still sports the same frontal design as the previous generation Ranger T6, which is anticipated to change to the current T6.2 come next year.

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Supported by Ford Performance and made by Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NMW) in KwaZulu-Natal who runs the local rally-raid Rangers, with added input from M Sport in the UK that fronts the Puma Rally1 programme in the World Rally Championship (WRC), the Raptor T1+ will make its official cross-country debut in January next year with the onset of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.

It won’t be easy

Ford Performances’ Global Director for Motorsport, Mark Rushbrook, has, however, indicated that the Blue Oval is realistic about its first Dakar and as such, will embark on a testing programme using the “current” 3.5 EcoBoost V6 engine model in events from July until October.

The 2024 edition of the Dakar kicks-off on 5 January and ends two weeks later.

“We cannot underestimate the enormity of the challenge ahead of us. We need to finish and learn first with Ranger T1+ and partners like M-Sport and NWM, who bring their expertise to bear. Together, we can do amazing things in the sand dunes of the Arabian Peninsula,” Rushbrook said.

“Our first time in Dakar will be a learning adventure that will help inform how we compete in the future. But as with all racing, we’re not just racing to win, we’re also racing to help build better products for our customers.”

M Sport boss and long time Ford exponent, Malcom Wilson, has indicted that while the Dakar presents a new challenge for the origination, “we can’t wait to apply this same level of focus, energy and effort [with the Puma Rally1 in the WRC] to competing with Ranger in Dakar”.

Rivals

The Blue Oval entry will therefore see it go directly against Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa’s also locally constructed DKR Hilux T1+, the semi-electric Audi RS Q e-tron and Prodrive Hunter T1+ that also featured among the front-runners in this year’s event.

A announcement regarding crews is expected towards the end of this year.

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