Kilometer 13 on the final day brings the end: Technical problem costs valuable points and the lead in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Championship (W2RC) Almost "zero" instead of fourth place in the unloved Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge Looking ahead: three more World...
100% dunes, 100% Yazeed and Timo: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the tougher marathon stage as “Dakar” leaders
Further contributions
Into the top ten – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk with a solid performance during the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Eighth place with the prospect of a top five finish: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk cleverly manage the unpopular Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge ahead of the final two stages Focus on points instead of risk: "Dakar" winner with solid pace Lots of dunes with a tricky...
Surfin’ UAE – Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk start the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge as world championship leaders
With a "Dakar" recipe for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge: calculated risk at the second round of the FIA World Cross-Country Rally Championship (W2RC) "Dakar" winners Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk meet concentrated W2RC competition Terrain with the known and the unknown: dunes,...
Thumbs up, again: “Dakar” winners Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk start the FIA Baja World Cup with victory
Local hero Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk win the opening round of the FIA Marathon Baja World Cup in commanding style Just two weeks after winning the Dakar Rally, the Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo are taking the momentum with them to the Saudi Baja Ha'il...
Stop the press! Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk win the 2025 Dakar Rally
After 4,906 test kilometers and 14 days: Home victory for Yazeed Al-Rajhi in Saudi Arabia Timo Gottschalk celebrates second "Dakar" triumph after 2011 Toughest "Dakar" ever pushes drivers, co-drivers and equipment to their limits Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia (January 17,...
Down to the wire – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the final day of the “Dakar” as leaders
The final sprint decides: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk take a lead of 6:11 minutes into the final 61 kilometers of the Dakar Rally Dune duel: Stages in the Empty Quarter make for a worthy finale in the Lategan/Cummings versus Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk fight 276...
Full throttle in the Empty Quarter: duel for the “Dakar” victory goes down to the wire
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk lose their narrow "Dakar" lead on the first stage in the Rub al-Chali Before the decisive final two stages: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk 2:27 minutes behind Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings Good starting position for both duos on the long desert...
“Dakar”, fast forward – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk take overall lead
From +5:41 to -7:09 minutes: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk take the lead in the Dakar Rally Third place on the day: courage and willpower are rewarded on the challenging stage to Haradh Particularly fast special stage over 357 kilometers with an extra challenge...
Stable in the pursuit: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk consolidate “Dakar” rank two
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk use the eighth stage of the Dakar Rally to gain a cushion Late starters favored: gap in the overall standings grows to 5:41 minutes Long, demanding stage towards the capital: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk do pioneering work in the final stage...
Jackpot at the Grande Casino – Al-Rajhi and Gottschalk within shouting distance of the “Dakar” lead
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk finish seventh on the day to reduce the gap to the leaders to 21 seconds Incorrect directions in the road book mislead all participants - sector time canceled Navigationally and technically tricky stage around Dawadimi through...
- Start of the trilogy in the dunes: section from Hofuf to Shubaytah gives a foretaste of the “Empty Quarter”
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk secure fourth place on the day and the lead, nine minutes ahead of their closest rivals
- Queen’s stage in two acts: “48-hour test” in the Empty Quarter on Thursday and Friday
Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia (January 10, 2024) – Part one of the dune triad: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk consolidated their lead in the overall standings of the Dakar Rally with fourth place on day five. The “Empty Quarter” already sent its regards on this short special stage: for the first time, the race against the clock was exclusively on dunes – with constant ups and downs, not always easy to drive. A harbinger for the next two days. The Saudi-Arabian-Brandenburg duo will start the queens stage with a lead of nine minutes and three seconds, which is split into a tough marathon stage on Thursday and Friday – including a night away from information and without service by the mechanics. To avoid having to open the route on the following days, some participants decided to slow down or take time penalties. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk were giving 100 percent instead.
Sand. Dunes. In all colors, shapes and flavors, the grainy surface formed the character of a section that is only 118 kilometers “short” on paper. Soft dunes with chots made up the core of the special stage. Towards the end, the sand became firmer and therefore easier to ride on – but broken dunes were one of the challenges instead.
QUOTES
“A very nice dune stage to drive. And a great foretaste of the next two days in the ‘Empty Quarter’. We can be pleased – we have a good starting position for the marathon stage and are leading the Dakar Rally.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“A great foretaste of the marathon stage with the 48-hour stage on Thursday and Friday. The dunes weren’t always easy to drive, Yazeed did a great job. We don’t have to open the stage tomorrow, which is good. The next two days will be tough, we are ready.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK
AND THEN THERE WAS …
… transmission break. This is because on Thursday and Friday, for the first time, a tougher version of a marathon stage will be held, where the participants will be spread over several bivouacs overnight – shielded from the outside world. For this reason, the next news will be issued on Friday – with all the usual information about the two-day special stage.