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...
Down to the wire – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the final day of the “Dakar” as 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,...
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...
Back in action – good start to the second “Dakar” week for Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk reduce the gap in the overall standings to 7:16 minutes with fifth place on the day Ideal prerequisites for the journey towards the Empty Quarter: good starting position for stage seven Route from Ha'il to Dawadimi with two...
- 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 kilometers of special stages on leg 11 challenge drivers and co-drivers alike
Shubaytah, Saudi Arabia (January 16, 2025) – Not for the faint-hearted: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk go into the final day of the Dakar Rally with a 6:11-minute lead. On the eleventh and penultimate leg of the desert classic through Saudi Arabia, the runners-up regained the overall lead in third place. On the 276-kilometre royal stage of the second week through the Empty Quarter, the largest sandy desert in the world, the Saudi-Arabian-Brandenburg duo tried to capitalize on their late starting position and were rewarded for their spirited ride. In the final 61 kilometers of the stage, they now have a great opportunity to clinch the “home victory” in Saudi Arabia. For Timo Gottschalk, it would be his second success in the Dakar Rally after 2011. Incidentally, in 2010 Gottschalk missed his first “Dakar” victory by just 2:12 minutes – the closest decision to date in the history of the world’s toughest rally. The turning point in the overall standings was almost reached at kilometer 94 of the eleventh stage after exactly 4,662 kilometers of special stages. There, the gap between Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (RSA/RSA, Toyota) and Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk was four seconds – equivalent to 103 meters over the overall distance. From then on, the gap turned into a lead that grew steadily until the finish. Yazeed Al-Rajhi in particular was in his element. Dunes, ergs and chotts – as far as the eye could see. The 276-kilometre special stage around Shubaytah was characterized by the Empty Quarter, the largest sandy desert in the world, including driving and navigational challenges. Due to fog, the special stage had to start two and a half hours later.
QUOTES
“A real hammering in the dunes! We gave everything today and were always close to Nasser Al-Attiyah. Things are now looking good for us in the overall standings.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“Yazeed drove really well today. It was dunes without end, only the most difficult and demanding ones. In between, we had to keep an eye on our fuel consumption because it was extremely high – which was due to the difficult terrain. We did well and now go into the final stage with a good lead!”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK