InstaForex Loprais Team — Silver Medal Winner of Rally Dakar!

When financial brand InstaForex announced a partnership with the Czech Loprais rally dynasty in 2011, it looked like a reasonable but bold move. On one side, there was a company from the high‑risk financial world; on the other, a team for whom the Dakar desert had been home for decades.

Fifteen years later, the InstaForex Loprais Team is more than a logo on a truck cab. It is the story of how persistence, technology, and risk management can turn a project into a consistent podium contender.

The Loprais name in off‑road racing is as iconic as Porsche in motorsport. Karel Loprais, uncle of the team’s current leader, won the Dakar six times in the legendary Tatra. Aleš Loprais debuted in 2006 as a co‑driver, and a year later moved into the driver’s seat and immediately took bronze.

In spring 2011, InstaForex became the project’s title partner. In the first season under the new sponsorship, the team won the Silk Way Rally, beating factory crews from Kamaz, Iveco, and MAN.

Dakar 2012 marked the InstaForex Loprais Team’s debut. Aleš won the eighth stage on his birthday and moved into contention for the lead, but after the stage finish, an accident on a road section forced a retirement. The following year brought the team’s first full finish — sixth place. 2014 featured two stage wins and another sixth place overall. In 2015, the team switched to MAN and achieved fourth place — the best result to that date.

Alongside Dakar, the team strengthened its position on the FIA World Cup: at the 2015 OiLibya Rally of Morocco, a five‑day African marathon across Moroccan dunes and rocky plateaus, the InstaForex Loprais Team finished second, proving it could consistently fight for podiums not only at the season’s main race.

The next years were a period of searching. In 2016, the team tried Iveco and cooperation with De Rooy, but the race ended in a retirement. A return to Tatra in 2017 yielded seventh place. 2018 included a stage win but again a retirement. 2019 became a year of regained stability — fifth place overall.

The move to the new Praga V4S DKR in 2020 finished with seventh place in the debut season. The following year, the team experimented with a two‑truck strategy and finished fifth overall.

2022 was a setback — the team finished in 21st place. But true drama unfolded in 2023: Aleš led with two stage wins, but a tragic incident forced the team to withdraw. 2024 became a year of revival — second place overall and the best career result so far.

In 2025, Aleš joined forces with De Rooy in the InstaForex Loprais Team De Rooy FPT project. The result met expectations — five stage wins and bronze overall.

Dakar 2026 was the peak. The Red Dragon truck, in red‑and‑gold livery, ran a dramatic race: five stage victories, a collision in the dunes on day eight, a rollover on stage twelve — yet relentless fighting to the finish. The result was second place overall, a second consecutive silver, and confirmation of world‑class status.

Aleš Loprais is more than just a racer. He manufactures components for Tatra trucks and runs the team. His driving style is aggressive but rational: he pushes ahead where needed but values reliability. His best overall results are third place in 2007 and 2025, and second place in 2024 and 2026.

The InstaForex Loprais Team's story is not only about power and dunes. It is about how a brand from the world of risk builds a partnership with a team for whom risk is a daily reality.

Join the InstaForex team — cheer for the InstaForex Loprais Team! Many victories still lie ahead!