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...
Two in a hurry – 35 overtaking maneuvers and eighth place for Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk at the start of the “Dakar”
Further contributions
Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the second “Dakar” week in second place overall
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Two in a hurry – Queen’s stage of the “Dakar” clearly goes to Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk
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First day, but a used one – Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk lose time before extreme stage at the “Dakar”
413-kilometer loop around Bisha with challenges for drivers and co-drivers is the true prelude to the 2025 Dakar Rally Pace stage before the big hammer: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk skillfully dose the "Dakar" urge, but also lose time with numerous technical...
Dakar Rally (20+25)² – Prologue of the mathematicians, Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk in 18th position
Solid start to the Dakar Rally: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk finished the first showdown of the desert classic in 18th position.
Finishing unfinished business? Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk are among the secret favorites at the Dakar Rally
There is still a score to settle with the Dakar Rally: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk are once again among the secret favorites for the 2025 edition of the desert classic.
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk celebrate another Saudi Arabian Championship title
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk secure the title in Saudi Arabia with their third win of the season Sovereign and unthreatened success at the Qassim Rally Test under competitive conditions: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk test suspension set-up for the Dakar Rally Buraydah,...
- True “Dakar” start on Epiphany: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk convert 59th starting position into eighth place on the day with a strong performance
- Stage from al-‘Ula to Al Henakiyah leads through canyons, wadis and rocky terrain
- Lots of dust hinders progress on tricky first stage – many co-favorites lose ground
Al Henakiyah, Saudi Arabia (January 6, 2024) – When reality doesn’t match the 100 percent carefully devised plan: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk made the most of a tricky opening stage at the Dakar Rally, finishing eighth on the day. This meant that the strategy of starting as far back as possible only worked to a limited extent – but nevertheless ensured a good starting position for the coming days. The Saudi-Arabian-Brandenburg duo started the race in 59th place, leaving 35 competitors behind them on the course and setting the eighth-best time. Dust hindered progress, especially on the first part of the first “Dakar” special stage. Nevertheless, the current runners-up in the FIA Cross-Country World Rally Championship (W2RC) left many of the other favorites for podium finishes in their wake. The day’s victory surprisingly went to Guillaume de Mevius/Xavier Panseri (BEL/FRA, Toyota).
The route on the first leg of the Dakar Rally led from al-‘Ula to Al Henakiyah. The start of the stage was reminiscent of the previous day’s prologue and led between rocks and through canyons. The terrain then opened up, alternating between wadis and open terrain. Many changes of direction required wide-awake navigators. Around 130 kilometers led over rough, rocky and twisted terrain over the volcanic rock typical of the region.
QUOTES
“We are quite happy with the start and I think we made the most of our starting position. It helped – with a clear line in the rough terrain, for example – but also cost us time due to the many overtaking maneuvers in the dust.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“An extremely long, extremely tough stage at the start of the Dakar Rally. Unfortunately, we had two punctures early on and had to drive as if on raw eggs for a long time to avoid risking another one – but we were helped, as planned, by the fact that many vehicles created a clear line in front of us.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK
AND THEN THERE WAS …
… the power of deceleration. At 131 bar, Yazeed Al-Rajhi built up the highest brake pressure in the prologue of the 2024 Dakar Rally. For comparison: This corresponds to the pressure that prevails at a depth of 1,300 meters – and very few submarines can withstand this.