Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, kicked off its campaign for the third round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2025 – the South African Safari Rally.
Hero MotoSports at South African Safari Rally
Team Hero is represented in this rally by three riders: Ross Branch and Nacho Cornejo in the premier Rally GP class, and the team’s latest recruit, Tobias Ebster, competing in the Rally 2 category. The rally flagged off with a short 9 km Prologue that saw Tobias Ebster, Ross Branch and Nacho Cornejo crossing the finish line with the 8th, 9th and 14th overall fastest times respectively.
Meanwhile, Tobias, the current Rally 2 championship leader, finished with the 3rd fastest time in his category, earning himself a favourable starting position for tomorrow’s first official stage.
Branch, the reigning 2024 FIM World Champion and a national icon in Southern Africa, is racing on a very familiar terrain. Fondly known as the “Kalahari Ferrari,” the Botswanan hero who hails from his country capital, Gaborone, is determined to recover valuable time and points in his home race after a tough start to the season.
The Chilean star Nacho has been showing a good rhythm since the start of the season. He has shown solid performances in the first two rounds of the season and continues to be a dependable part of the team. The fresh young Austrian talent, Tobias has settled into the team really well and the entire squad is looking forward to building on his strong start and is expecting good results ahead.
The South African Safari Rally 2025
The South African Safari Rally 2025 flagged off with a gripping Prologue stage today. Making its debut on the W2RC calendar, the rally marks the return of international rally-raid racing to South Africa after more than three decades, since the 1992 Paris–Cape Town Dakar. A total of 95 vehicles made it to the start line of the South African Safari Rally 2025. 41 of these are FIM riders, featuring 9 top-tier riders in the Rally GP class, and another 28 competing in Rally 2.
Based out of Sun City, an iconic resort 140 km from Johannesburg, this brand-new rally will span 2,641 km over five demanding stages, including 1,222 km against the clock, and a marathon stage deep into the wild Savannah. The terrain is challenging, with a mix of high-speed stretches and tricky navigation.
Tomorrow’s Stage 1 kicks off in Lichtenburg, around 200 km west of Sun City, plunging competitors straight into the heart of South African cross-country terrain. Known for its mix of agricultural tracks, sandy stretches, and open bushveld, this stage is as unpredictable as it is demanding. The stage will set the tone for the week ahead, testing both precision and pace right from the first flag drop. It’s a crucial day to build momentum — especially for local favourites like Ross Branch who are looking to make their mark on the familiar terrain.