Image: Supplied.

Two-time Dakar Rally winner Toby Price is ready to take on the 45th edition of the prestigious event with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, confident he has the craft to contend once more for the coveted title.

A tough start to this year’s Dakar Rally ultimately proved costly for the Australian, with Price delivering solid results – notably winning stage 10 – to claw his way back to 10th in the standings.

“The 2022 Dakar didn’t quite go as planned for me,” Price recalled. “I had an issue right at the beginning on day one with one note in the road book, and that made it really tough to get back in contention with the front runners for the rest of the event.

“I know my pace was there, but rally can be tough and sometimes things just don’t go your way. We had a big gap in the middle of the year and put that to good use testing with the team.

“I felt great going into the Rallye du Maroc and my pace there was good, it’s just unfortunate a crash put an end to my race. We’ve got some more testing to do now in December ahead of a short break over Christmas, but then it’s straight back to it at the end of the year.

“I’ve had five podiums at the Dakar, and I know I have the pace to win – everything just needs to come together and I’m sure I can be up there fighting for another title.”

The 2016 and 2019 event winner will line up alongside Matthias Walkner and Kevin Benavides in Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s assault on the upcoming 2023 Dakar, with the 14-stage event to commence on 31 December 2022 in Saudi Arabia.