Jérôme de Sadeleer was forced to skip the 2023 Dakar Rally due to back injuries sustained in a massive crash while competing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at Portimao in October 2022. A year later, he is back for his second start in the legendary rally. He will drive the #420 Can-Am Maverick for MMP Compétition in the SSV (formerly T4) class with Michael Metge as co-driver.
De Sadeleer finished twenty-fifth in T4 in his maiden Dakar. Despite being set back in the overall by a mechanical issue two days later, he still scored top-ten stage finishes in all but two of the twelve legs and ran as high as fifth in Stage #7. Afterwards, his racing schedule consisted of both rallies and pavement races, winning the T4 class at the Baja Aragón in July while also competing in the European Le Mans Series and Le Mans Cup.
His accident occurred in the final race of the 2022 Le Mans Cup at Portimao when he tried to avoid two cars that had slowed in front of him as the safety car came to pit lane. As he served right to dodge Freddie Hunt, de Sadeleer slammed into the pit wall, destroying his Ligier JS P320. The crash resulted in a thirty-minute red flag that also forced the ELMS’ 4 Hours of Portimao to be delayed.
Despite missing Dakar, he returned to MV2S Racing for the 2023 Le Mans Cup and Asian Le Mans Series. Sharing the MV2S Racing Ligier with Vyacheslav Gutak and Fabien Lavergne, he placed runner-up in the ALMS LMP3 standings with a win in Dubai and podium finishes in all four races. In the Le Mans Cup, he and Christophe Cresp were fourteenth with a podium at Spa.
“After the setback of missing last year’s edition because of my big crash, this comeback means the world to me,” wrote de Sadeleer on Saturday. “Huge gratitude to Team Galag and Talal Al Saud for making this dream a reality again. Also, a warm welcome to Laurance Escalane/Lance East Exotics and B.I. Collection who are supporting me for this edition, without you it would not be possible!”
The 35-year-old Swiss native previously won the 2017 Radical SR1 Cup. His younger brother Hugo is also a sports car regular who has competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He decided to dabble in rally raid after being inspired by a Saudi friend who wished to create a Dakar-capable team. De Saadeleer connected with five-time Dakar bike champion Cyril Neveu, leading to his rally début at the 2021 Baja Aragon where he finished third in class. His second race at the Rallye du Maroc was overshadowed by a rollover, but he still reached the finish twenty-fourth overall and thirteenth in T4 to qualify for the 2022 Dakar Rally.
Metge raced at Dakar on a bike from 2013 to 2019 before switching to co-driving in 2022 with van Sadeleer. For the 2023 race, he partnered with Pau Navarro where the two recorded a second in Stage #1 before going on to finish ninth in T4.
The 2024 Dakar Rally will begin on 5 January.
