New three rider line-up at KTM Rally Team – Husqvarna and GASGAS no more
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Rally Team announce new three rider line-up ahead of 2024 Rallye du Maroc with Kevin and Luciano Benavides plus Daniel Sanders representing the Austrian manufacturer and marking an end to Husqvarna and GASGAS Factory Rally teams.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing are gearing up for the 2024 Rallye du Maroc with an all-new rider line-up of Luciano Benavides and Daniel Sanders adding to the Red Bull KTM awning alongside ’24 Dakar winner, Kevin Benavides.
The news comes with a complete re-structure of the factory rally race teams from the Austrian manufacturer with a number of high-profile rider changes (notably Toby Price being dropped) and retirements (Sam Sunderland).
The announcement comes on the eve of the last major Rally-Raid event of the season, Rallye du Maroc from October 6-11, and ahead of the Dakar Rally in January 2025.
Read the preview for that here: 2024 Rallye Du Maroc: W2RC climax sees 100% digital roadbooks – “riders must get used to it”
Recent testing in the United States and Morocco in preparation for the upcoming races has been extremely positive for the team, with all riders keen to see where they stack up against their rivals after several months out of competition.
Crowned 2023 FIM World Rally-Raid Champion and finishing as runner-up at last year’s edition of the Rallye du Maroc, Luciano Benavides will be a strong contender this year.Unlike his brother Kevin who will not race and continues to recover from injury, with a scheduled return to competition at the ‘25 Dakar Rally.
Luciano Benavides: “I’ve worked hard over the past few months preparing for Morocco, and it will be a great opportunity to see where we are after our testing. Physically, I feel really good in my recovery, and I have spent a lot of time working on roadbooks with the team in both the USA and Argentina. This is the first time that my brother and I will be on the same team, wearing the same colors, so that is super special. To have Daniel alongside us is great, and I think we’re going to be a really strong team. I am still getting used to the new bike, but I always really enjoy this rally, and I have great memories of it from last year. Bring on Morocco!”
Daniel Sanders has had a career which has spanned the three brands – GASGAS, Husqvarna and KTM – and returns to the orange colours at the Rallye du Maroc.
Daniel Sanders: “It’s been a long break since Argentina, and we are super motivated to race the Rallye du Maroc. It’s been three years since the last time I raced the event, and I managed to get on the podium then, so I’m hoping to do the same again this year. It’s really exciting to be back in the KTM colors and I want to do their hard work justice. It’s great working with the Benavides brothers and I’m sure we’ll be a close-knit team. This rally always serves as great preparation for Dakar as the terrain is so similar. I’m really excited to get back out there and hopefully bring home a trophy!”
Photo Credit: Sebas Romero