In his first statement since his accident in late January, Mathieu Baumel says he has decided to get his right leg amputated and replaced with a prosthesis. Once he has been cleared to race again, he hopes to rejoin Guillaume de Mévius at the Dakar Rally.

Baumel was hit by a car at the start of the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique in late January, a few weeks after he and de Mévius finished 18th in class at Dakar. He was put in a medically induced coma and suffered severe injuries to both of his legs.

He eventually awakened from his coma, making a Valentine’s Day post on his Instagram Stories. On Sunday, with de Mévius visiting him in the hospital, he published a video explaining the extent of his injuries and his road from there:

As you know, 15 days ago I was involved on a big bad incident on the side of the road, another car that crashed into myself unfortunately.

I was sent to the hospital. I am still at the hospital and now 15 days, 17 days after, I can tell you that I feel much better, but I took one big decision: a big decision in my life to cut my right leg.

I will have a new full carbon system on my new leg, but unfortunately it will not be my original leg. I had three surgeries to try to fix my left leg. That should be okay for the future.

We’re working hard now to keep everything running well. I am confident. I am also happy to be here in the hospital in Reims because everybody was really taking care of me and they did it very well.

I would like to thank all the people around the world who sent me some support, some video messages, some messages on WhatsApp, on Instagram or whatever. Thank you to everybody.

It gives you love and power to be ready to face what will happen for the future now.

Now, I have only one goal. The goal, of course, will be to be ready for the next Dakar, to be ready to be on the highest of the classification, on the top-level car in the T1+, and to be ready to be again with Guillaume de Mévius. I am really lucky because today, here in the hospital, he’s there so this is good.

I will give you some more information as soon as I will have. But now, it’s time for recovery. It will be long, for sure. It will take some weeks, some months, but I am again good on my mind and and ready to face everything for the future.

Thank you again for your support everybody and see you soon, I hope in Dakar.

Alex Winocq, the navigator for X-raid teammate Guerlain Chicherit, will serve as de Mévius’ co-driver for the upcoming Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

If he can make it back for the 2026 race or any future editions, Baumel will be gunning for his fifth Dakar Rally title. He is also a two-time World Rally-Raid Champion navigator.

Featured image credit: Marcelo Maragni / Red Bull Content Pool