Hero MotoSports Team Rally, the motorsport team of the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – Hero MotoCorp, has successfully completed the fourth and penultimate stage at the South African Safari Rally 2025 – the third round of the FIM World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) 2025.
Today’s stage saw a strong showing from the Hero trio, with Ross finishing 6th, Tobias 7th, and Nacho securing 10th fastest times overall. In the Rally 2 class, Ebster delivered an impressive performance with a 2nd place finish, keeping the pressure firmly on his class rivals.
After the end of four intense stages, Nacho Cornejo and Tobias Ebster have secured spots inside the overall top-10 — currently sitting in 7th and 9th positions respectively, while Ross Branch follows in at 13th. The young Austrian talent, Ebster is also holding an impressive 2nd place in the overall Rally 2 standings and is determined to finish his debut rally with the team on a high note.
Branch, the reigning World Champion had a long but enjoyable Stage 4. He stayed close to his competitors and pushed through tough, dusty terrain near the Botswana border – not far from his home. Nacho Cornejo, the team’s Chilean ace, has maintained a commendable streak of consistent performances throughout the rally. However, he wasn’t entirely satisfied with his outing today and is aiming to bounce back with a stronger result in the final stage, hoping to end the rally on a positive note. Tobias Ebster, meanwhile, came out swinging with an electrifying pace in Stage 4. He led the Rally 2 class towards the start of the day before narrowly slipping to second, just under two minutes behind the class leader.
Stage 4 of the rally turned up the intensity with the longest and most demanding route of the event — a grueling 693 kilometers in total, including a 224-kilometer timed special. The day’s route, centered around Skilpadshek, began with rapid dirt tracks cutting through the bush before transitioning into rugged, rocky mountain terrain. A true test of endurance, it pushed both riders and machines to their absolute limits. The stage offered a unique visual treat as competitors raced close to the Botswana border, near Lobatse Cape with views of Gaborone — just 100 meters away at points. Being near Ross’s home country, the route drew massive crowds of fans and spectators along the course, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.
The rally wraps up tomorrow with the fifth and final stage in Sun City. Spanning 216 kilometers in total, including 118 kilometers of timed special, the stage promises no respite. Featuring a mix of hard-packed cotton soil — notoriously slick when wet — river crossings, and loose gravel sections, it will demand razor-sharp focus and precision. With time gaps shrinking and the competition heating up, Stage 5 is set to deliver a thrilling climax as Hero MotoSports looks to cap off.
Ross Branch, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally:
“It’s been a long Stage 4 today. I got passed by Ricky, so I tried to be with him for the rest of the stage. Overall, it was a good day — I really enjoyed it, even though it got quite tough and extremely dusty near the Botswana border. I’m happy with how everything is going: the bike is performing brilliantly, and the team has been amazing. Looking forward to the final day tomorrow!”
Tobias Ebster, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally:
“The longest day of the rally is over — we covered nearly 700 kilometers in total, with around 250 in the morning itself. The special stage was short and fast, about 200 kilometers, but quite tricky. The stakes are so high at this point that nobody’s really making mistakes — the top seven riders were separated by just around four minutes. I felt really good and had a lot of fun out there. I did make a couple of small mistakes and had a minor crash toward the end, but overall, it was a great day. Now, it’s all about bringing it home tomorrow!”
Nacho Cornejo, Rider, Hero MotoSports Team Rally:
“Stage 4 is done — not my best day out there. I struggled to find my rhythm and didn’t feel completely at ease on the bike, so I wasn’t able to deliver the performance I had hoped for. I just want to apologise to the team — everyone has been working incredibly hard, and days like this don’t sit well. But that’s racing; it comes with its ups and downs. The plan now is to reset mentally and come back strong tomorrow to finish the rally on a positive note.”
Provisional Classification of Stage 4 (Overall):
- Daniel Sanders – Redbull KTM Factory Racing – 02h 22m 13s
- Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Honda Team – + 00m 53s
- Skyler Howes – Monster Energy Honda Team – + 01m 49s
- Ross Branch – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 03m 23s
- Tobias Ebster – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 04m 10s
- Nacho Cornejo – Hero MotoSports Team Rally — + 08m 26s
Provisional Classification after Stage 4 (Overall):
- Daniel Sanders – Redbull KTM Factory Racing – 12h 03m 45s
- Luciano Benavides – Redbull KTM Factory Racing – + 07m 01s
- Adrien Van Beveren – Monster Energy Honda Team – + 10m 17s
- Nacho Cornejo – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 40m 38s
- Tobias Ebster – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 58m 06s
- Ross Branch – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 01h 53m 55s
Provisional Classification of Stage 4 (Rally2):
- Edgar Canet – Redbull KTM Factory Racing – + 02h 24m 28s
- Tobias Ebster – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 01m 55s
- Michael Docherty – BAS World KTM Team – + 06m 17s
Provisional Classification after Stage 4 (Rally2):
- Edgar Canet – Redbull KTM Factory Racing – + 12h 41m 40s
- Tobias Ebster – Hero MotoSports Team Rally – + 20m 11s
- Michael Docherty – BAS World KTM Team – + 27m 25s
