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The first test of the season will be at the upcoming Saudi Baja aboard a Taurus T3 Max, currently the benchmark vehicle in the Challenger category
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The 2024 program also includes three races with a Ford Ranger T1+ until mid-season, when the vehicle for the Dakar will be decided
Just days after finishing his first Dakar in one of the toughest editions in recent years, Eduard Pons is already working on an ambitious project to repeat the experience in 2025 with a car that offers better mechanical performance. To ensure success, the Lleida native plans to participate in various international championships and test two completely different vehicles to see which best suits his needs.
The first step of his sporting program for the 2024 season begins shortly and will take him back to Saudi Arabia, from where he recently returned after competing in the Dakar, this time to race in the Saudi Baja. With Jaume Betriu as co-driver and a fundamental part of the team, both will compete under the Past-Racing structure, led by Daniel Alonso from Asturias. Thus, the Lleida duo enters the orbit of a team that is growing by leaps and bounds in the world of cross-country and will accompany them towards their goal of the 2025 Dakar.
The chosen model for this first race is the Taurus T3 Max, a vehicle in the Challenger category, which is a step above the SSV they used in 2023. The Taurus has proven to be superior to its rivals in the most extreme conditions and greatly intrigues the Catalan pair. Pons-Betriu want to check its performance and will have the technical support of the French BBR team, the same team that led Cristina Gutiérrez to win the Dakar.
From there, the agreement with Past-Racing foresees a main program of three races with an Ultimate car, the highest category in the discipline, in different championships. The first contact with the Ford Ranger T1+ will be during the first week of April in the third round of the W2RC, the BP Ultimate Rally-Raid (Portugal-Spain).
With no time to rest, Eduard and Jaume will compete in two consecutive rounds of the European Baja Championship, in Extremadura and Italy respectively. At this point, they will be at the halfway mark of the 2024 season, when they will assess how their sporting program continues. According to Pons: “In July, we will decide whether to tackle the 2025 Dakar with an Ultimate (T1+) or Challenger (T3) vehicle, depending on our adaptation and the budget available to the team”.
Thus, Pons-Betriu will continue competing in the modality that brought them together, facing new challenges but once again with their sights set on the toughest rally in the world. Their evolution in the first half of the year will determine the outcome of the season and the weapon with which they will make their particular assault on the Dakar again.
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