With brains on the podium: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk secured third place in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, scoring important points in the battle for the FIA Cross-Country World Rally Championship (W2RC).
The desert is shaking! Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk win the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge
Further contributions
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk kick-off Marathon Baja World Cup with victory
Dominated, made it exciting again – and won: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk got off to a strong start in the FIA Marathon Baja World Cup.
Final exit for Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk from the 2024 Dakar Rally – looking ahead
Rien ne va plus: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk must finish the 2024 Dakar Rally early and for good. After the Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo had led the world’s toughest desert rally for 1,119 kilometers, a rollover on the sixth stage at kilometer 1,808 put an end to their dream of victory.
Game over – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk have to give up their dream of winning the “Dakar” while in the lead
The dream of winning the “Dakar” is over. Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk ended the tough marathon stage of the Dakar Rally early after a multiple rollover.
100% dunes, 100% Yazeed and Timo: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the tougher marathon stage as “Dakar” leaders
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.
Kickdown extends the lead – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk remain in front at the “Dakar”
With their hearts in their hands and a brick on the gas pedal: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk extended their lead in the Dakar Rally on the fourth day.
Blow the whistle! – or – Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk take the lead in the Dakar Rally
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk lead the Dakar Rally after three days of competition.
Speed it up! Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk claim second at “Dakar”
Challenge accepted, challenge mastered: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk put down a big marker on the second day of the Dakar Rally and took second place in the overall standings.
Two in a hurry – 35 overtaking maneuvers and eighth place for Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk at the start of the “Dakar”
When reality doesn’t match the carefully thought-out plan 100 percent: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk made the most of a tricky opening leg of the Dakar Rally, finishing eighth on the day.
The discovery of slowness: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk with a strategic start at the “Dakar”
Stop once in a while, take a deep breath – all with sights set to a good starting position: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk deliberately slowed down on the Dakar Rally prologue.
- Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo promptly victorious in their reunion
- Consistency makes the Kings: Well-dosed risk pays off in difficult desert rally
- 2014-2019 & 2023: 14 podium results for Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk
Abu Dhabi (March 03, 2023) – With driving nous and a foot to the floor: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk have won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. The Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo celebrated their 14th joint podium result promptly after reuniting for this second round of the FIA World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC). Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk already contested 31 cross-country rallies together between 2014 and 2019. For Timo Gottschalk, it was the second major success in the still young motorsport year 2023. In January, he celebrated a surprising and sensational third place in the Dakar Rally together with Lucas Moraes (BRA). Gottschalk had stepped in for Yazeed Al-Rajhi’s regular co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz in Abu Dhabi, who had to take a break due to injury.
In 2023, the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge once again offered everything for which it is known and sometimes feared: dunes, dunes, dunes, plus sand in all colors, shapes and flavors. Many broken dunes made the second W2RC run a tricky affair. One of the challenges was to dose the risk carefully. On the penultimate of the five rally days, Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk took over the lead from the big favorites Nasser Al-Attiyah/Matthieu Baumel (QAT/FRA, Toyota), who had to retire after a quadruple rollover and a Toyota Hilux that was too badly damaged as a result. Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, on the other hand, brought their Hilux car back to Abu Dhabi safe and sound, having previously kept other co-favorites, including Sébastien Loeb/Fabian Lurquin (FRA/BEL, Prodrive), at bay.
QUOTES
“We are extremely proud to have won the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, a desert classic so close to my home in Saudi Arabia. That means a lot to me. The collaboration with Timo worked perfectly from the very first minute. The rally was also worthwhile for me in terms of W2RC points and the championship has become a bit more open as a result.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“A victory is always something special, a great feeling. I have taken part in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge several times and know how difficult this rally is. We are proud and happy to have won here. It’s a really difficult rally with lots of sand and dunes and lots of tricky hazards. It’s extremely challenging to judge the right pace. I think we drove a clever rally.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK