Hero MotoSports, 1st Indian team to win a Dakar Stage and a podium

David Bodapati January 15, 2022

1 719 4 minutes read

Hero MotoSports Team Rally at Podium Ceremony at Jeddah on Friday. A Hero MS image

Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), 15 Jan 2022: Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, completed its Dakar 2022 campaign with a stellar result as both team riders crossed the final finish line in Jeddah on Friday.

You can read Harith Noah’s Dakar 2022 report is here. Report of the other Indian team Sherco TVS is here.

Dakar 2022 will go down in history as the edition that saw an Indian manufacturer win a Stage in the world’s toughest rally for the very first time!

With one stage win and one stage podium, this has been Hero MotoSports’ best-ever performance at the Dakar Rally so far. This was the team’s sixth consecutive appearance at the rally.

All through 2021, the team participated in multiple races, constantly upgrading their machines, and reaching the top positions. They entered the Dakar Rally battling several last-minute hurdles – including two of their riders getting unfit for the race due to injuries. The Dakar 2022, however, turned out to be a watershed moment for the team and Hero MotoCorp, as the team overcame challenges and achieved a historic result. Having won the hearts of fans around the world, the team has been receiving congratulatory messages all day long.

Joaquim Rodrigues, the star performer of the team, finished the last stage of 163 kms between Bisha to Jeddah with yet another top-15 finish.

For JRod, who lost his brother-in-law and mentor Paulo two years back at the Dakar, walking back into the same event each year has been a battle with himself. After making it to the podium of an FIM World Championship race in 2021, JRod entered Dakar 2022 with great confidence. Riding stronger than ever, he delivered his best ever performance at the Dakar – bagging his maiden stage win and also a 3^rd place stage finish – which he dedicated to his mentor. He goes back proud from his fifth appearance at the Dakar with a 13^th position in the overall RallyGP class rankings.

Having performed consistently throughout the Rally, Aaron Maré was not far behind, securing 15^th place in the overall standings of the RallyGP class.

Even though Aaron Maré joined the team as a last-minute replacement for injured Franco Caimi, he adapted with the team and his new bike quickly, and proved to be a great team player. His consistent and praiseworthy performance this Dakar has earned the young rider attention from far and wide.

With seven of the world’s top manufacturer teams battling for the top prize, Dakar 2022 was the most competitive edition ever. 12 grueling stages and over 8000 kilometers later, the Hero Rally 450 machine proved its mettle yet again with no technical failures.

Even though the team rode with only one of their original riders JRod, the presence of CS Santosh at the camp greatly boosted the team’s confidence and morale. With eight top-10 stage finishes – including a 1^st and 3^rd position – the team flies back from Jeddah, far more confident than they were at arrival two weeks back.

The team will next be seen in action at the second race of the year under the FIM World Rally Raid Championship, at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in March 2022.

Wolfgang “Waffi” Fischer, Team Manager

“What a Dakar, after all the struggles we had a few weeks before the start! We are really proud of the performance of our riders, bikes and the team – a superb job done. The highlight was definitely the maiden Dakar stage victory for JRod and Hero MotoSports, underlined with a very strong third place at the hardest and most competitive, stage 11. Our last-minute entry Aaron did a perfect job, adapting seamlessly with the team, and keeping a cool head always, he proved to be a fast learner and team player.

The Dakar Rally was the most competitive ever, with seven manufacturer teams fighting for the top prize, and only 1:30 hrs dividing the top 15 after the 4000-race kilometers. It was a bit unfortunate for JRod to lose over 50 mins at the initial phase of the rally, preventing us from gaining more top positions in the overall tally.

With zero technical problems and a total of eight top-10 results in the new RallyGP class of this Dakar, we look forward to the next W2RC race in Abu Dhabi in March, and the soonest return of our mates Basti and Franco. Thanks to the Hero family and all our partners who contributed to our success story – to be continued!”

Joaquim Rodrigues

“Extremely happy to be here! I’m really happy with my performance – it was a great Dakar for me and for the team. With the fantastic performance of the Hero Rally 450, we’re together now fighting for the top positions. My win this time is definitely the cherry on the top for me, and I can’t express how happy I am for myself and for the team to have finished yet another Dakar!”

Aaron Maré

“I’m beyond happy, it’s a dream come true! It’s been the longest 163 kms of my life in the last stage. It’s the end of a successful Dakar. I took it easy today, riding smooth and avoiding any mistakes or crashes. It’s been an overwhelming experience for me, and I’m very grateful to Hero MotoSports Team Rally for their confidence in me, and for all the hard work they’ve put in.”

Stage 12 Rankings – RallyGP class:

1. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda 01h 40m 00s

2. Toby Price Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 18s

3. Jose Ignacio Cornejo Monster Energy Honda + 29s

4. Joan Barreda Bort Monster Energy Honda + 01m 13s

14. Joaquim Rodrigues Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 07m 44s

22. Aaron Maré Hero MotoSports Team Rally + 13m 34s

Overall Standings of the Dakar 2022 – RallyGP class:

1. Sam Sunderland GasGas Factory Racing 38h 47m 30s

2. Pablo Quintanilla Monster Energy Honda + 03m 27s

3. Matthias Walkner Red Bull KTM Factory Team + 06m 47s

4. Adrien van Beveren Monster Energy Yamaha + 18m 41s