The Dacia/Prodrive innovation that is positively changing the Dakar challenge

Dacia Sandriders will debut an innovative new driver safety device at the Dakar Rally.

The team will utilize a ‘seat attenuator’ to absorb impacts on the rough terrain, reducing spinal compression injuries that drivers have experienced in recent years.

Prodrive, the technical partner, has developed the damper system, which will be installed on all three Dacia entries driven by Nasser Al-Attiyah, Sebastien Loeb, and Cristina Gutierrez. This system will eventually become a standard inclusion in the World Rally Raid Championship [WR2C] regulations starting from 2027.

Explaining the system, technical director Philip Dunabin said: “There have been numerous accidents in rally raids causing back injuries, particularly for co-drivers and main drivers. So Prodrive has created a seat attenuator system to absorb impacts during heavy landings.”

Philip Dunabin, Technical Director of The Dacia Sandriders

The Dacia team, with support from Alpine Racing of the Renault Groupe, will incorporate technologies that can be applied to Dacia’s road car models.

“Dacia has worked on pigments and resin, specifically in carbon fiber, to reduce infra-red absorption and maintain lower temperatures in the cars. These technologies can also be used in pigment arrangement and matte, IR reflecting paint for road cars,” Dunabin explained.

“Additionally, there are materials for the seats and other elements derived from Dacia road cars, as well as collaboration on sustainable fuels with Aramco.”