• 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, dunes, dunes ahead

Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates (February 21, 2025) – Riding on the wave of success – that could suit Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk. Also at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge starting on Saturday, February 22 and finishing on Thursday, February 27. Two rallies, two victories – the year 2025 has started perfectly for the Saudi-Arabian-Brandenburg duo: with victory in the Dakar Rally and the opening success in the FIA Marathon Baja World Cup, both in Saudi Arabia. “That could suit them both” – that is certainly also the motivation of a whole armada of competitors who want to put the “Dakar” heroes of January to the test in the United Arab Emirates. The lead in the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Championship (W2RC), which was achieved with the triumph in the desert classic, is to be defended cleverly and vigorously. The recipe for success of the “Dakar” should help: calculated risk.

Rank and name – the long list of challengers

“Dakar” podium finishers, for example, or rally record world champions, World Cup winners, up-and-coming talents and old hands like warhorses: The entry list for the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2025 reads like a who’s who of cross-country rally sport – or like the line-up of the Dakar Rally itself. The number of those aiming for podium finishes in the desert classic, which has been held in the United Arab Emirates since 1991, is correspondingly high. For example: Nasser Al-Attiyah/Edouard Boulanger (QAT/QAT), who, like nine-time World Rally Champion Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Fabian Lurquin (FRA/BEL), are competing in the Dacia Sandrider. Seth Quintero/Dennis Zenz (USA/GER) and Lucas Moraes/Armand Monleon (BRA/ESP) are a small selection of the particularly strong duos who, like Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, will be driving a Toyota Hilux. With Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergqvist (SWE/SWE) and Mitch Guthrie/Kellon Walch (USA/USA), Ford is fielding two of the Dakar Rally’s discoveries.

New introduction, familiar main part: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge with lots of dunes

For the first time, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge will start in al-Ain, east of Abu Dhabi – and thus in a new terrain for the participants, presumably including a different type of dune. Dunes have always been the keyword of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and they will also be the defining theme in 2025. The steep descents in particular could hold surprises in store – so caution is advised. In 2025, the third and fourth day will also be a marathon stage without evening service by the mechanics.

QUOTES

“With its tricky dunes, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge can turn everything upside down from one moment to the next. Caution has always been the order of the day here. That’s exactly what we will do and take calculated risks. After all, we want to defend our lead in the championship.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI

“The start of the rally will take place in an area that is still unknown to us. We don’t yet know exactly what to expect there. Apart from that, there will be a lot of desert around the Liwa Oasis, which we have already gotten to know well in previous years. Some of the dunes here are particularly tricky – with steep, difficult to assess descents. We want to get through without any mistakes and collect as many points as possible.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK