It has been a tough outing for Botswana’s Dakar Rally world rally raid championship (W2RC) defending champion, Ross Branch.
The Kalahari Ferrari, as the affable rider is affectionately called, crashed out during stage three of the fourth round. The crash, which left his motorcycle mangled, all but ended his title defense.
This marked an anticlimax for the Dakar Rally W2RC champion, who admitted his title defence had not gone according to plan. A series of setbacks hamper put paid his ambition to defend the title he won in 2024.
“Unfortunately, I crashed out of the Rally. The year was not as good as I expected. We had issues the entire season and a bit of bad luck,” Branch said. “But one has to move on and prepare for the coming races.”
While he is no longer in the title race, Branch is not ready to fold his arms and declare the season over. He is still determined he will go back and take part in stage five of the world championship in Portugal. His plan is to use the stage as a crucial testing ground for the 2026 Dakar Rally. His focus has shifted from defending his current title to preparing for a strong comeback.
“We’ve had mechanical failures, even hit a bird in round three, and in round four things were going well – I was in the top five, exactly where we wanted to be. Unfortunately, I had a big crash, and that was the end of the race for me,” he explained.
With no chance of clinching the world title this season, Branch sees the upcoming race in Morocco, the final round of the 2025 championship, as an opportunity to test new setups, sharpen his navigation, and rebuild his confidence.
“Going into the last round, there’s no way of winning the championship, but we have a couple of things we’d like to test for Dakar in January,” Branch said. “I’m feeling good, ready to battle the best in the world, get my confidence back, and hopefully gain more experience with navigation. That way, I’ll be fully prepared for Dakar.”
Despite the setbacks, the “Kalahari Ferrari” remains optimistic. His focus is firmly on January, where he hopes to reclaim his crown and remind the world why he is one of the most fearless riders on the global rally scene.
