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In a heart-stopping final: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk win Desafío Ruta 40

7. June 2024

Further contributions

  • We pull the cap: first win of the season in the FIA Cross-Country World Rally Championship (W2RC) for Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo
  • Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk keep W2RC decision open until the final at the Morocco Rally
  • A particularly challenging route through Argentina in terms of driving and navigation – Desafío Ruta 40 a small “Dakar”

Córdoba, Argentina (June 7, 2024) – Down to the wire: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk won the Desafío Ruta 40 in a real heart-stopping final. The Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo celebrated their first win of the season in emotional fashion at the fourth round of the FIA Cross Country World Rally Championship (W2RC), setting up a showdown for the WRC crown at the season finale in October. In Argentina, Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk set the pace right from the start with top results on the day. Before the final stage, the lead over the closest pursuers – five-time “Dakar” winner Nasser Al-Attiyah and his co-driver Edouard Boulanger (QAT/FRA, Prodrive) – was extremely narrow at 13 seconds. A true cross-country rally thriller unfolded on the final 218-kilometer section, in which the two duos were separated by just one second in the virtual overall standings at times and the lead changed hands several times. In the end, a 40-second lead and a spirited sprint to the finish decided the race in favor of Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk.

The Desafío Ruta 40 led through the Argentine provinces of Córdoba and La Rioja and offered fast, World Rally Championship-like gravel roads as well as off-piste and sandy terrain, trial-like passages and the range between technically demanding terrain and fast passages. The co-drivers were also in great demand with tricky navigation.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi thus moved up to second place in the overall WRC standings, just 25 points behind leader Al-Attiyah. Timo Gottschalk is only 20 points behind leader Edouard Boulanger in the co-driver standings. The decision on the W2RC and “runner-up” titles will therefore be made at the fifth and final round of the W2RC at the Morocco Rally (October 5-11), where a maximum of 55 points will be awarded.

QUOTES

“We are delighted to have beaten such a strong opponent as Nasser Al-Attiyah in such a close duel at eye level. During the short transfer on the last stage, we saw that Nasser had taken 20 seconds off us and thus taken the virtual lead. After that, we gave it everything we had – and it paid off. We are very happy about this victory!”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI

“That was not for the faint-hearted. Yazeed set off a rocket on the last few kilometers and gave it his all, maybe even a bit more. he drove really fantastically and I had to really cling to the seat at times – but it paid off. We are very happy about this victory! I think we’ve earned our summer break now.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK

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