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...
Thumbs up, again: “Dakar” winners Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk start the FIA Baja World Cup with victory
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,...
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...
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...
- 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
- Beautiful route, perfect road book and lots of euphoria: Saudi Baja Ha’il offers fans a show race at full rally speed
Ha’il, Saudi Arabia (February 01, 2025) – It doesn’t always have to be the “Dakar” victory – we have a smaller one. And so fitting: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk have won the Saudi Baja Ha’il and thus the opening round of the FIA Marathon Baja World Cup. A good two weeks after the emotional and frenetically celebrated victory in Saudi Arabia at the toughest rally in the world, the Dakar Rally, the fans had the opportunity to see their “Dakar” hero up close and above all: win again. The route led over two full rally days plus prologue around Ha’il. 425.76 kilometers against the clock, 821.42 in total were on the agenda. The Saudi Baja Ha’il mainly offered the varied routes in the Nafud-Alkaber desert that are well-known around Ha’il – breathtaking landscapes and a perfectly prepared road book included. Second and third place went to Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk’s Toyota team-mates Juan Cruz Yacopini/Daniel Oliveiras (ARG/ESP) and Dania Akeel/Stéphane Duple (KSA/FRA). The next test for Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk will be the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge in around three weeks’ time (February 21-27). They will start the second round of the FIA Cross-Country World Rally Championship (W2RC) as world championship leaders.
QUOTES
“I am totally happy. To win here in front of the many fans who support us so strongly – that means a lot to me. The Saudi Baja Ha’il was again well organized and led through great landscapes. All in all, it was great fun to be here!”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“A really nice rally, great route and a perfect road book. Organizers of big events can learn a lot from this. The competition wasn’t huge with Juan Cruz Yacopini and Dania Akeel, but it was good. We took it a little easier on the first day and attacked on the second to make sure we didn’t get caught up. That worked very well, also because we are still fully in the ‘Dakar’ rhythm.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK