British Dakar Star Sam Sunderland Announces Retirement
Two-times Dakar Rally Winner Sam Sunderland has announced his retirement from full-time professional motorcycle racing
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British rally racer Sam Sunderland has announced his retirement from professional motorcycle racing, after being a part of KTM’s factory rally programme since 2014.
During his career, the Dubai-based Brit Sunderland etched his name into motorcycling history, and into British sporting history, as he claimed two Dakar Rally wins in 2017 and 2022, as well as the Cross Country Rallies World Championship in 2019, and its successor the World Rally Raid Championship in 2022.
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The first of Sunderland’s Dakar victories came aboard KTM machinery, three years after Sunderland first joined the Austrian manufacturer. After that, he switched within the PIerer Mobility Group (PMG) to the red of GasGas to take that 2022 win, after which PMG celebrated Sunderland’s achievement for the Spanish brand by launching a production version of the GasGas RX 450 that he took to victory in Saudi Arabia. PMG was already used to making production rally bikes, but until 2022 they had only come in the orange of KTM.
Along with the announcement of his retirement, Sunderland was confirmed by GasGas to be remaining with its rally team in “a support and development role.”
On the announcement of his retirement, Sunderland said: “It is with gratitude, humility, a bit of sadness, but without regret, that I announce my retirement from motorcycle racing after having a career that I dreamed of once upon a time.
“From winning two world championships to my two Dakar victories, it’s been an incredible run. I would like to thank everyone that has been a part of this chapter and I’m looking forward to staying close to the team and playing a part in supporting their race efforts in the future.”
Andreas Holzl, GasGas factory rally team manager, said: “We would like to say a massive thank you to Sam for his time with Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing. I speak for the whole team when I say we’re sad to hear that Sam is retiring from racing, but we completely respect his decision and thank him for everything he has done for us over the years.
“Beyond being a phenomenal racer, Sam is a fantastic person — always supportive, motivating, and a true team player. He is a huge part of the GASGAS family, and we look forward to working with him again in new and exciting ways in the future.”
