LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport delivered a major performance at this edition of the Dakar, securing victory in the SSV category while placing three crews inside the overall top 10.
A collective result that confirms the strength, competitiveness and overall level of the team’s sporting programme.
At the end of a particularly demanding Dakar — covering more than 8,000 kilometres, including nearly 5,000 kilometres of timed special stages across 13 stages — LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport established itself as one of the benchmark teams of this edition.
In the SSV category, the crew of Brock Heger – Max Eddy Jr claimed overall victory (P1) at the wheel of the Polaris RZR PRO R Rally. This marks a second consecutive Dakar victory for the crew, confirming their consistency at the highest level and the competitiveness of the machine developed by LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport in close collaboration with manufacturer Polaris.
The crew of Xavier De Soultrait – Martin Bonnet completed this outstanding result with a third- place overall finish (P3), further underlining LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport’s dominance in the SSV category.
The crew of Johan Kristoffersson – Ola Fløene also delivered a strong performance, finishing 8th overall (P8). An eight-time World Rallycross Champion, Johan Kristoffersson was competing in his first Dakar Rally. A convincing debut, marked by steady progression throughout the 13 stages.
This first participation, conceived as a year of learning and adaptation, highlights a clear potential to fight at the front in future editions.
Unfortunately, the crew of Gonçalo Guerreiro – Maykel Justo was forced to retire during Stage 8 following an accident that resulted in injury to the driver. Prior to the incident, the crew had delivered very strong performances, running consistently inside the top 5 since the start of the rally. A promising trajectory that confirms the potential of this young driver, who is expected to play a significant role in the future.
The entire LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport team extends its full support and wishes Gonçalo Guerreiro a speedy recovery.
Finally, the crew of Florent Vayssade completed the Dakar as finishers. A late engine change, just a few days before the finish, prevented the crew from being classified in the overall standings. A rally brought to completion nonetheless, reflecting the determination of the crew and the total commitment of the technical teams through to the final finish line.
This edition of the Dakar rewards the collective work carried out over the past months, the reliability of the Polaris machines, the sporting strategy implemented, and the unwavering commitment of the crews and technical staff throughout the rally.
“The Dakar is a long and extremely demanding race, putting both people and machines to the test. This edition was no exception, with technical challenges and the retirement of Gonçalo’s crew following his injury. Despite these difficulties, the entire team remained focused, fully committed and united until the very end of the rally. This SSV victory obviously rewards the winning crew of Brock Heger and Max Eddy Jr, but also everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes on a daily basis.
Fielding five crews at the start this year was a real challenge, and I am proud of the way we collectively made our way through this Dakar.
I would also like to highlight the third place achieved by the French crew Xavier De Soultrait – Martin Bonnet, who delivered a very strong Dakar, driven with consistency, commitment and determination, never giving up. These results are also the outcome of the remarkable work carried out by the teams on the ground, as well as those working behind the scenes in support roles, all contributing every day to showcasing the team’s collective performance. Finally, we would like to warmly thank the entire team, our partners, and of course POLARIS, with whom we work in close collaboration.”
— Cédric Fray, CEO – LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport
“A third consecutive Dakar victory for Polaris with the LOEB FrayMédia team is a historic milestone for us. The Dakar is the ultimate test, and the RZR Pro R delivering another title showcases the durability and performance engineering at the core of our brand on the world stage. I am incredibly proud of the resilience and teamwork that has delivered back-to-back titles for our winner Brock Heger and a hard-fought podium for Xavier de Soultrait."
— René Basei - Vice President, Polaris International
With this outstanding result, LOEB FrayMédia Motorsport confirms its status among the reference teams in rally-raid and looks ahead to the next chapter with ambition and confidence, continuing its development programme alongside Polaris Racing.
