Monster Energy Interview | Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Champion Aaron Mare

What happened in the world of Rally GP motorcycle racing this past week and weekend was akin to a world champion boxer’s sparring partner taking the title.

Monster Energy/Hero Motosports’ Aaron Mare, a last-minute addition to fill in for the team at the 2024 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship’s second round – the 33rd running of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – was supposed to be a support racer for Monster Energy/Hero Motosports’ No. 1 guy, ’24 Dakar Rally runner-up Ross Branch.

Mare, a fellow South African countryman of Branch, was cool with his role. Filling in for Sebastian Buhler, who was injured at Dakar, Mare, who resides and rides in Abu Dhabi, would help insure that Branch would come away from the ADDC with as many points as possible – giving him the overall FIM World Rally-Raid Championship overall Rally GP class points lead when all was said and done.

However… in the world of motorsports the best laid plans can go awry in an instant. And that’s exactly what happened after Branch, who won the event’s opening Prologue round, suffered a mechanical failure in Stage 1 – and was never able to recover.

With that Mare took the reins of the Monster Energy/Hero Motosports Rally 450 and cracked the throttle – two stage wins (#2 & 4), enroute to a five-minute overall ADDC victory over Poland’s Konrad Dabrowski (DUUST Rally), with Branch clocking in with a top five (4th) finish.

Not only was the win for Mare his first ever in FIM Rally-Raid, but he also delivered the Hero Motosports manufacturing company its first win, helped them past Monster Energy/Honda Team (which was not participating in the event) and into 1st place in the W2RC Manufacturer’s title chase and, with the most impact, gave the 1.4 billion people strong country of India its first-ever win with India-based Hero.

With that, Monster Energy gave Mare 24 hours to catch his breath, then hit him up to get his size of this unreal event with such a storybook ending.

Monster Energy: Yeah, Aaron, congrats from everyone at Monster Energy on your big win at Abu Dhabi. Let’s start by having you discuss what it meant to win your first FIM World Rally-Raid Championship round this past week at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

Aaron Mare: It's a dream come true for me. And honestly, it's only starting to sink in now. Last year this time I didn't even have a bike to ride. But I was waking up every day and training as hard as I could believing that I would get the chance to get back to racing. So to come back to my first Rally since Dakar 2022, and get my first ever win let alone in a country I've called home for the past seven years, is really something I could only dream of. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge was my first ever Rally back in 2019. It has always been a special race to me and now it just got a whole lot more special. I just can't thank Hero Motorsports, Monster Energy and Acacus enough for giving me the opportunity to get back out there and show what I can do.

ME: Talk a bit about the process leading into Abu Dhabi – from when you got the call from Hero Motosports asking if you would like to replace the injured Sebastian Buhler (Dakar crash), to any testing you were able to do prior to the ADDC to get acclimated to the Hero 450 Rally bike. 

AM: As soon as I got the call from Waffi it was an instant ‘YES!’ I love the team and everything that comes along with being a part of their program. There were a few delays in getting the bikes from Dakar, but fortunately the guys had a backup bike that I could get some saddle time and testing done on in Dubai. And then shakedown in Abu Dhabi went really smoothly. It really didn't take long at all to feel at home on the Hero 450 Rally bike as we can all see the level that they are competing at now. The bike is really incredible and so easy to ride. I could immediately tell how much hard work and testing has gone into it and I think the results show that.

ME: This wasn’t the first time you got the call up from Hero. In 2021, just prior to the start of the ’22 Dakar Rally, Hero team manager Wolfgang Fischer hit you up to come replace Monster Energy/Hero team racer Franco Cami for the 2022 Dakar Rally. You ended up placing a highly respectable 15th, racing alongside Joaquim “J-Rod” Rodrigues. Talk a bit about that experience and how it assisted with your return to the team for ADDC, along with having (injured) J-Rod on hand to provide advice and race assistance this past week.

AM: Dakar 2022 with Hero Motorsports was a great experience for me. It was the first time I got to work with the team. They were all such a great group of people, incredibly professional and made me feel right at home. It really was a no-brainer to join them for ADDC. Having J-Rod there with all his experience and advice was great for me, each day just went so smoothly and I learnt so much from him and Ross. Having guys around with that winning mentality, yet still humble and level headed, can only benefit the people around them. I'm incredibly grateful for all the help and it plays a massive part having a support system like that when you are competing at the highest level.

ME: So out of the gate at ADDC you placed 4th in the Prologue, just several seconds behind the winner, your Monster Energy/Hero Motosports teammate Ross Branch. Was it too early yet, or at that point (Prologue) were you confident you’d have the speed to run with Ross and, possibly, challenge for a podium position?

AM: It had been a while since I've done a rally, so in the back of my head I was wondering how I would stack up against the other riders. I'm fortunate that I get to train with Mike Docherty pretty much year ‘round. And I know Mike has really good speed. So I had a pretty good idea of where I was. Honestly, I wasn't so happy with how my Prologue went. I made a small mistake and lost some valuable seconds, which can be costly when it's such a short special. I was confident that I could compete for a podium though, and I knew it was still a long race where anything can happen. So I don't let things like that affect me. 

ME: A runner-up position in Stage 1 to your friend and South African, as you’d mentioned, countryman Michael Docherty (KTM). It was also during that stage when Branch ran into some mechanical issues, which had you in 2nd place overall. How were you feeling on the bike after the opening stage? 

AM: I was really happy with my first stage; the bike was handling exactly how I wanted. Things just started clicking for me and I was riding with so much confidence, especially in my navigation. By the 50km mark I had caught the lead group and managed to open the rest of the stage for around 200 km, the first time I've opened a stage. I really surprised myself with my opening speed that day, which gave me a lot of confidence going into the following stages. 

ME: Stage 2 would be both triumphant and bittersweet at the same time as you ended up winning the stage, but had to see Docherty air-lifted from the track after a gnarly get-off. You and Konrad Dabrowski (DUUST Rally) had stopped to aid Docherty, which put you back in the field. But due to FIM rules, you were credited with the time spent – and you won the stage by 2:08 over Dabrowski, and took the overall lead in the race. Talk about Stage 2, and, however you’d like to put it (blessing, Karma, ‘good vibes’), the sportsmanship you showed in stopping your race to assist a fallen rider.

AM: I couldn't have put it in better words myself. It's always tough seeing a rider go down let alone one of my best friends. I'm glad I could be there for my buddy and assist the medical team any way that I could. It's really important for us to help other riders in these situations and I'm glad the rules allow us to be there for each other. It's one of the reasons I love racing rally; the sportsmanship and camaraderie is really something special and I think it's great to know that your fellow competition is always there for you when you're out in the middle of the desert. It allows all of us to compete at such a high level with a certain level of security and for sure that helped me get my head right and carry on with the stage and get my first stage win.   

ME: Stage 3 had Branch return to the top of the podium, as you brought ‘er home in 4th – preserving the overall lead ahead of Dabrowski by 5:05. At this point Branch was still a ways back, but no doubt in the hunt for the overall victory. What were your thoughts following Stage 3, both as the race leader and your chance at the victory, as well as the fact that you were there to support Branch and his effort at victory, along with accumulating the most points possible for the overall season WRRC title?

AM: It started to sink in a bit at that point that I had a good shot at winning it. Of course I knew my job was to help Ross in any way that I could. He has a great chance at winning the championship this year and I think we both made a great team by getting through some challenging moments in this race. At this point I was just trying to do the best job I could for the team and myself.

ME: Without a doubt, the biggest news out of Stage 4 was Branch taking the lead racers – Dabrowski and 3rd place (at the time) Jean-Loup Lepan (DUUST Rally) – purposely off the track on a wild goose chase to give you the stage win and a commanding 10:14 lead over Dabrowski (22:05 over Lepan and 47:55 over Branch) heading into the 5th and final stage of the ADDC. Talk about this move, the teamwork from Branch, being the turning point of the race that allowed you to bring home the victory – your first ever overall WRRC win.

AM: Haha, yeah, it was an interesting one for sure. Ross knew it was going to be pretty tough to make up the time he needed and was still going for the overall podium. It's always tough in the dunes when you are opening the stage to not lose time, so he brought out some tricks which worked in my favor - and almost worked how he wanted for himself. I always try my best to stay focused on my nav and trust myself, so I was just out there doing my own thing and picking what I think is the best line. It's never a nice feeling following someone else's line and then getting lost.     

ME: Comfortable lead heading into the final Stage 5, but by no means were you out of the woods, er, desert yet. Talk about the Monster Energy/Hero Motosports game plan with you and Branch heading into Stage 5, things you and Branch, as well as J-Rod, had discussed.

AM: We knew my lead was enough going into the last stage even if the guys behind me caught me, barring any silly mistakes from my side. Ross and J-Rod were really supportive and told me to just keep doing what I've been doing, stay calm and just manage the race. I didn't want to let the moment get to me and just tried to play it as smart as I could and eliminate as much risk as possible. The Monster Energy/Hero Motorsports team were really on point with everything and so supportive throughout the whole race. 

ME: Did you get any sleep the night before Stage 5?

AM: I'm a pretty relaxed and calm person so I slept like a baby! Haha.. I'm sure it helps when you've been racing in some gnarly dunes all week to get a good night's rest too! Honestly, I was just so stoked to be in that position and prove to myself that I had what it takes to get the job done. 

ME: Stage 5 goes off well, Branch winning and you rolling in with a 4th place finish – and the overall ADDC victory. What was going through your head from the time you staged the bike at the start line, to when you rolled through the finish knowing you’d won the 2024 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge?

AM: I had to compose myself and remember everything the team had told me and, mostly, to stay focused. It's easy to make silly mistakes or have a crash if you relax too much. Once I got over the line and the guys from ERTF (FIM race officials) give you the nod that you haven't got any penalties/missing waypoints it was a massive relief and I finally got to enjoy the moment! It was probably the longest 200 km stage I've ever done though! Honestly, I'm just so happy all the hard work has paid off and I've enjoyed every moment to get here.

ME: So not only did the win give you your first career WRRC victory it was historic for Monster Energy/Hero Motosports - and the entire country of India as well - as it was both firsts for Hero and India as well. Talk about that.

AM: It's been an incredible year for Monster Energy/Hero Motorsports and the country of India coming off some phenomenal results at Dakar. And now to get their first WRRC win, leading the overall standings with Ross, myself in 3rd and leading the Manufacturing standings? You really can't ask for much more! It really does feel surreal to be a part of all of this to make some history! It's been an absolute honor and pleasure to achieve this.

ME: What are your plans for the rest of the 2024 FIM World Rally-Raid Championship season, and anything else you’ve got going on with Monster Energy/Hero Motosports?

AM: I'm still working on a few things but I'm hoping this result will put me in a good position to keep working with Monster Energy/Hero Motorsports. So, hopefully, I'll be seeing you at some more races!

ME: Right on, Aaron. Again, congrats on your big win from everyone at Monster Energy and best of luck the rest of the way this year.

AM: Thank you so much! I just want to give a massive shout out to Hero Motorsports Team Rally, Monster Energy and Acacus. Lastly I want to thank Waffi, Joe, Talal and all the people that made this happen for believing in me and giving me a shot!

ME: Cheers!