They were 59 crews to start the 2025 Dakar in the top car category, the Ultimate. They were 48 to get to the finish line two weeks later. Out of the only three women drivers, Aliyyah Koloc was the fastest. Quite an achievement for the 20-year-old who not only overcame numerous technical issues but also outraced some of the more prominent names despite having a slower car with no turbo. She finished in 35th position in the Ultimate class.
Having had some time to reflect on and digest the 2025 Dakar, Aliyyah and Buggyra ZM Racing’s team principal Martin Koloc look back at two eventful weeks.
“It was difficult,” Aliyyah says. “Last year was difficult, but this year we had more issues. But we got some good results when we didn’t have any issues. We improved the car a lot since the last Dakar, so that helped us to be competitive.”
Buggyra ZM Racing’s CEO Martin Koloc agrees with his daughter: “It was a tough Dakar for everybody, not just for us. We have seen big names fail due to extreme conditions, the length of the stages, but it is how the Dakar should be.”
Keeping up with the big factory entries
The Dakar becomes increasingly competitive every year, with some of the biggest car manufacturers from around the world competing. As a private team with no factory backup, it is not always easy for Buggyra to keep up with the enormous resources those manufacturers have.
Martin Koloc explains: “Our current car is not fully competitive with the top. We are working on changing that, but it’s not easy to speed up the development. We suffered from a performance handicap because we are using a V8 engine, but there are restrictions due to the technical regulations. We have 100 horsepower less than Toyota, for instance, but even with less power, we have been reliable. We have to work hard to improve Aliyyah’s car as soon as possible because she’s becoming very fast and is able to fight with the top drivers. This makes me very happy.”
Steep learning curve
Aliyyah certainly has come a long way since 2023, and her first Dakar in the T3 category. Only a year later, she moved into the top car category, the Ultimate, with her Red-Lined REVO T1+. Her experienced navigator, 43-year-old Frenchman Sébastien Delaunay, has played a large part in that development. “Sébastien certainly helped me a lot last year, the first one in the T1+ car, because I didn’t have any experience and didn’t know what to do. This year, my second year in this car, I am more experienced, I have improved my driving. So Séb could focus more on his job instead of teaching me. We had our ups and downs this year, but we finished well!” Aliyyah explains.
It's all about teamwork
Motorsport is a team sport, but the Dakar pushes any team to its limits. Teamwork is probably nowhere more important than during this mythical two-week event.
“We had a good team this year; we had very positive energy. We had lots of issues, but the guys worked very hard to give us a good car in the morning. I’m very grateful and looking forward to more races with the same group of people,” Aliyyah says with a smile.
Martin Koloc feels the same way: “I love this team. This has been the best team ever since we began the Dakar. Thank you all! It’s a tremendous experience, and I hope we will be even better next time. I don’t know how, but the team’s spirit is unbeatable.”
Aliyyah’s best and worst Dakar moments
The Dakar is an emotional roller coaster. Anyone who has ever participated, as a driver, a navigator, a team member, or official, will confirm this. One day all is well and you are on top of the world, the next you are in a hole – sometimes quite literally.
“During the marathon stage, I knew we were on the road to a good result, but then the drive shaft broke, which was pretty disappointing. And when the clutch stopped working in stage 5, and we had to get towed 200 kilometers, that was frustrating. Also, in the last stage, 20 km before the end, the wishbone broke, and everything started breaking. That was pretty brutal mentally,” Aliyyah remembers her most difficult Dakar moments.
But she has a fair share of great memories, too. “Getting into the top ten in stage 10 was pretty cool. The team was very happy. I wasn’t expecting such good results. And the days when we had no navigation problems were nice,” Aliyyah recalls. And if she had to pick her best moment? “It’s the toughest race in the world, so it’s cool to be here with all the best drivers. The experience with the team was my favorite though. I like my team very much. But the first thing that comes to mind when I think about this Dakar is how much I improved as a mechanic with all the times we had to fix the car in the middle of the desert...”
The next Dakar cannot come fast enough for Aliyyah Koloc and her Buggyra ZM Racing team.
