Interview: 2025 Dakar Rally runner-up - Honda HRC Rally’s Tosha Schareina
Monster Energy caught up with Tosha Schareina for a post-Dakar interview. Find out what he had to say about the race and the experience.
It wasn’t but a year ago that Tosha Schareina jumped on a flight from his native country of Spain to Monster Energy headquarters in Corona, Calif. There the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship series sophomore inked a deal that landed him a full time, starting position on the world’s premier off-road motorcycle racing team – Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally.
Schareina brought with him some solid credentials. Racing part time for Monster Energy/Honda the previous season, in 2024, Schareina proved he could step up and race with the series’ top racers as he rallied back from a broken wrist to place 3rd overall in the WRRC standings. And despite not racing the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Schareina won the WRRC Portugal round, which included three stage victories, and he was the runner-up at the Desafio Ruta 40, as well as the Rallye Du Maroc.
Proud to carry on Spain’s tradition of top off-road racers (See: Joan Barreda and Marc Coma), Schareina endured an extremely rugged 12 stages of the ’25 Dakar Rally this past week, racing to his first ever Dakar podium finish with a runner-up effort to Daniel Sanders (KTM).
Monster Energy caught UP Schareina for a few post-Dakar questions when everyone got back from Saudi Arabia. Here’s what he had to say…
Monster Energy: Tosha! Great job in Saudi Arabi the past two weeks. Your first Dakar Rally overall podium. Talk about how you’re feeling following 12 grueling stages in Saudi Arabia.
Schareina: The truth is that it has not been an easy Dakar. The veteran riders talk about a very hard edition. Only the first week, we had the same kilometers as other editions in full. We also had a 48-hour stage and a marathon in that first week, surrounded by many rocks that made us arrive to the second week totally exhausted.
Monster Energy: Impressive that you and your Monster Energy/Honda HRC Rally teammates were able to gut that out. Talk a bit about the turning points in the race for you. Was there a certain area of the race that allowed you to achieve your podium finish? Conversely, was there a time where the 1st place position seemed to be taken from your grasp?
Schareina: I think we have been competitive in all aspects. We had a small fall where we injured our collarbone. During the race, we felt pain but we never imagined something like this. We fought until the last kilometer. There were days when we were closer and others a little further, but I think that those first three stages, when we started in reverse order, marked the race a lot.
Monster Energy: There was a lot of discussion regarding the new navigational tablets being used. Many racers were having issues. Talk about your experience with the new tablet, and how it affected your Dakar.
Schareina: I agree that the new tablet is the future. It is a system that will help us a lot. We all know the stress that paper gave us and now, with the tablet, everything is easier. I also think it still has some failures; it is a very young system, and it is normal that some failures occur. But, I also think that the right thing to do would be to apply the same rules for all racers.
Monster Energy: Despite the early advantage Daniel Sanders (KTM) received, namely the Stage 3 official’s decision to return his time lost (due to the tablet), he raced well and won the most stages. Talk about competing against Sanders at Dakar and your feelings for him as a fellow racer.
Schareina: I am happy for Daniel. He had a great race. The jury's decision to give or not to give time back has been very controversial. I agree that time should be given back to any driver, be it Daniel or another. But that the rules should be applied equally to all. We had an unfair situation on the first day where we lost five or more minutes and we never got it back.
Monster Energy: In the big picture, Dakar is just one race out of five in the 2025 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship. Talk about your plans for the remainder of the series, what races stand out to you and what it’d going to take to win the overall title.
Schareina: I am very happy because we are going to run the whole World Rally-Raid Championship. In a month, we will be in Abu Dhabi and it will be my first time in that race. We have all the ingredients to be able to fight to be world champions. Let's go for it!
Monster Energy: That’s awesome. Thanks again, Tosha. And from everyone at Monster Energy, congratulations on an excellent Dakar Rally.
Schareina: Thank you very much team. A little over a year ago I was at the Monster facility, signing on that big wall. I came in totally as a rookie and now we are fighting to win a Dakar. I am very grateful and we are going for everything family.
Monster Energy Dakar Motorcycle Final Results
Place/Name/Team/Time
2nd – Tosha Schareina (Monster Energy/Honda)
53:17:42 (- minus 00:08:50)
3rd – Adrien Van Beveren (Monster Energy/Honda)
53:23:38 (- minus 00:14:46)
5th – Ricky Brabec (Monster Energy/Honda)
53:38:42 (- minus 00:29:50)
6th – Skyler Howes (Monster Energy/Honda)
53:51:36 (- minus 00:42:44)
7th – Jose “Nacho” Cornejo (Hero/Monster Energy)
54:07:12 (- minus 00:58:20)
Up next…
FIM World Rally-Raid Championship racers remain in the sands of the Middle East for Round 2 of the ’25 WRRC with the running of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Feb. 21-27. For more information, including “Live” timing and scoring, visit www.worldrallyraidchampionship.com
