Sébastien Loeb and the Curse That Shattered His Dream at the Dakar Rally 2025

Nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb had long set his sights on conquering the iconic Rally Raid event that had stubbornly resisted his dominance: the Dakar Rally. With every prior attempt adding more weight to his ambition, the 2025 edition seemed like the moment to finally turn that aspiration into reality. Instead, a harsh twist of fate — a crash, time losses, and subsequent disqualification — once again denied him the title, turning this year’s campaign into yet another chapter in his complex Dakar story.

Loeb’s rallying pedigree is unmatched

Sébastien Loeb has won a series of Multiple WRC championships, countless wins, and a reputation for precision and speed. Yet, the Dakar has been his elusive prize.

He has competed in multiple editions of the Dakar Rally, coming close on several occasions (e.g., second place finishes). For 2025, his ambition was clear: to add the Dakar win to an already legendary résumé. The event’s demanding terrain, long stages and off-road complexity meant that success here would validate a full spectrum of his driving talent.

Given his track record and the build‐up to 2025, many considered him one of the favourites. The narrative of “one more major victory to complete the journey” was strong.

The 2025 Campaign Begins with Promise

Loeb entered the 2025 edition with solid expectations. Early reports showed he was managing to stay in contention.

On Stage 2 (a long, 48-hour chrono stage) he encountered engine fan issues and lost around 40 minutes, yet managed to limit the damage. After that, hopes remained high, he still had the pace, the experience, and the ambition to fight for the win.

The Dakar was clearly going to test not just speed, but endurance, reliability, and mental strength. For Loeb, this was exactly the kind of battle that had defined most of his career until things went wrong.

Disastrous Turning Point in Stage 3

The critical moment arrived during Stage 3 of Dakar 2025, and it’s fair to say this is where the “curse” truly revealed itself.

Just 12 kilometres into the 327 km special from Bisha to Al-Henakiyah, Loeb’s car (a Dacia Sandrider) left the road, rolled multiple times, and suffered serious damage. Although Loeb and his co-driver Fabian Lurquin were unhurt, the car damage was severe: the steering rod broke, the engine fan overheated, and the roll-cage was compromised according to technical inspection later.

In his own words:

“It wasn’t the kind of day we prefer… we lost an hour and we got the feeling that we were in ‘it’ up to our necks… But it is what it is.”

That stage not only removed him from the fight for the win — it shattered the hope and momentum he had built.

Disqualification and Dreams Deferred

Following the crash, the damage to his vehicle proved fatal to his campaign. The car was inspected by the FIA technical stewards and declared unsafe to continue due to roll‐cage damage. 

Loeb was disqualified from the event after Stage 3. This meant his 2025 Dakar attempt ended prematurely — again. Despite all the speed, skill and preparation, fate intervened in the harshest of ways. 

Loeb described the disqualification as “hard to swallow” and “frustrating”, emphasising that although safety must come first, this result felt unjust after the effort invested. 

Why This Feels Like a Curse

There are several reasons why this event feels less like a single mistake and more like part of an ongoing pattern — a “curse” of sorts — for Loeb at the Dakar.

Repetition of near-success: Loeb has come close in previous rallies (second and third places) but has never sealed the victory. His 2025 effort appeared to be the one, yet it collapsed again.

Mechanical and incident setbacks: Unlike team‐mate performances or simply being out-driven, his eliminations often stem from incidents or failures beyond straight speed: rollover, technical failure, structural damage.

Timing and ambition: The pressure was high. For such a legendary driver, this might have been the last major chance to claim the Dakar. The higher the stakes, the more dramatic the collapse felt.External factors: The inspection and disqualification due to roll‐cage concerns highlight how in this event, success is as much about equipment integrity and adherence to rules as driving skill.

Lessons from the Setback

While disappointing, the 2025 Dakar episode offers several important takeaways, both for Loeb and for anyone following high‐level rallying:

In rally-raid, reliability equals speed. Even a brilliant driver needs a car that holds up. The best pace means nothing if a rollover or mechanical failure wrecks the run.

The margin for error is minimal. In Dakar conditions — shifting terrain, long stages, fatigue — a single incident can destroy the best efforts.

Preparation is multi-dimensional. Driving talent must be matched by engineering robustness, strategic support, navigation accuracy and incident recovery.

Mental recovery matters. Loeb’s response to the crash and disqualification will shape how he approaches future rallies. Resilience in motorsport isn’t just about coming back from losing a stage — it’s about rebuilding belief.

Legacy isn’t just about victories. For Loeb, his career remains iconic. But this unresolved chapter adds a poignant layer: the greatest drivers don’t always get their final triumphs easily.

What Comes Next for Loeb?

Though this Dakar attempt did not succeed, Loeb’s future still holds possibilities. He may view this as a pivotal learning year. The data, the incident, the experience — all can feed into future campaigns.

Technically, his team and vehicle will be under scrutiny ensuring roll-cage integrity, durability over extreme terrain, and minimising risk of similar incidents will likely become priorities.

And perhaps equally, the narrative of “one final push” might lighten. With less pressure, Loeb could race freer which sometimes brings the best results.

Sébastien Loeb entered the Dakar 2025 with a clear goal and formidable credentials. What he encountered instead was a perfect storm of bad luck, mechanical failure, and an unforgiving rally that simply wouldn’t yield. The crash and eventual disqualification weren’t just a mistake, they were the culmination of factors that had haunted him at the Dakar before.

While it may appear as though a “curse” still lingers, the real takeaway is this: even the greatest rally drivers are vulnerable when up against the rigours of a rally-raid like the Dakar. For Loeb, the dream remains alive but this year it slipped away. 

The question now is: will the next attempt bring redemption, or will the Dakar continue to elude even the most celebrated driver of his generation?