Sooner or later all sporting stories have an end, be it happy or stormy. The history of separations in the world of motorsport is full and the latest of these had KTM and Toby Price as protagonists.
The Austrian manufacturer has decided not to renew the Australian driver's contract after almost 10 years spent together to achieve the same ambitious goals. Price himself revealed this decision through a statement that appeared on his social pages.
“KTM decided not to renew my contract, so the 2024 Dakar was my last event with them… I feel like I'm still in my prime and going out there fighting for wins, especially at the Dakar, so it's a shame we won't have the opportunity to do so in 2025,” Price wrote.
“But I really appreciate the support they have given me in my career. We have been able to do great things together, like winning two Dakars and getting a couple of podiums, a World Championship and success in Australia.”
Price, over the last 10 seasons with KTM, has managed to win the Dakar twice, also achieving other podiums in the most famous rally raid in the world. But the story with KTM, in reality, has lasted for more than a decade: fifteen years to be precise.
#2 Red Bull KTM Factory: Toby Price
Photo credit: Red Bull Content Pool
KTM has supported the Australian centaur's career since 2010, when Toby was competing in the national rally championships. After moving on to race and win in Europe and North America, Price made his Dakar debut in 2015 aboard a KTM 450 rally, taking a stage win in the challenging terrain of Argentina and taking third place overall.
The following year, 2016, saw him triumph for the first time in the Dakar, becoming the first Australian in history to succeed in the feat of winning the rally raid. His second victory came in 2019, despite a wrist injury suffered in the weeks before the start during training.
Price's overall win in 2019 was also the latest in KTM's 19-match Dakar win streak, which was beaten by Honda once the event moved to the Middle East.
Price's last stage victory aboard a KTM dates back to the 2022 edition of the Dakar, while the previous year he injured a collarbone. Over the past few years, Price has also attempted the transition to four-wheeling by racing several Baja events in Australia, even taking home three in a row.
With the fresh separation from KTM, it is not yet clear whether Price will continue to race in the Dakar Motorcycle category with a different manufacturer, extending his career by a few years or whether, instead, he will try the great adventure on 4 wheels.
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