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Mitch Guthrie has made the move from Challenger to Ultimate as he partners with Ford Performance for the 2025 Dakar Rally. He will be driving the new Ford Raptor T1+ from M-Sport.
In 2023, Guthrie narrowly missed out on the World Rally-Raid Championship in the T3 class, finishing second to Seth Quintero by just five points. The two former team-mates will once again compete against each other in 2025, with Quintero racing for Toyota Gazoo Racing in the Ultimate class.
Following the 2023 season, Guthrie got his first taste of the premier category driving a Ford Ranger T1+ as part of the W2RC Next Gen Tryouts.
Guthrie expressed his excitement about joining Ford Performance, stating that it has been a dream of his to be a part of the Ford brand. He is thrilled to be driving for Ford in the T1+ category and considers it a dream come true.
Despite competing in the full 2023 W2RC, Guthrie only entered the Dakar Rally in 2024, where he faced mechanical issues that dropped him to second place in the Challenger class.
For the 2025 season, Guthrie will be focusing on desert racing in America with Polaris after opting not to go for the World Championship again.
Mark Rushbrook, Ford Performance global director, is excited to have Guthrie join the Ford Performance family and is looking forward to seeing him push the limits of the Ford Raptor T1+ in the challenging Dakar Rally.
The Ford Raptor T1+ was unveiled in July as a replacement for the Ranger, with Nani Roma winning the Hungarian Baja in its first race. Carlos Sainz, a four-time Dakar champion, also joined the team in May.
M-Sport plans to have four Raptors at the Dakar Rally, with the fourth driver yet to be announced.
The 2025 Dakar Rally is scheduled to take place from January 3-17.
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