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...
Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk kick-off Marathon 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,...
Thumbs up, again: “Dakar” winners Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk start the FIA Baja World Cup with victory
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...
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...
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk take victory at Baja Ha’il
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk start the season with victory
- Navigation in the north of Saudi Arabia particularly tricky
Ha’il, Saudi Arabia (February 10, 2024) – 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. At the curtain raiser of the series, which also marked the first round of the Saudi Arabian Championship, last year’s runners-up built up a lead on the first of two days, which they used to their advantage on the final stage. A small mistake with a big impact kept the suspense going right to the end: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk drove in the wrong direction at a point that was unclear in the road book and lost a lot of time when they turned back. They then activated their reserves, made up ground and narrowly won.
The Baja Ha’il in the north of Saudi Arabia, with around 472 kilometers of testing, 856 in total, was a crisp foretaste of the next big task: the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, in which Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk are competing as last year’s winners. The second round of the FIA Cross Country World Rally Championship (W2RC) will be held from February 25 to March 2.
QUOTES
“A good result at the start of the Baja World Cup, which makes us very happy. We made it a bit tense at the end and briefly drove in the wrong direction. But our lead from the previous day and a sprint to the finish were enough for overall victory. Mistakes are part of our sport, but you have to deal with them properly – we proved that today.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“A challenging Baja, both in terms of driving and navigation. Shortly before the end, I fell into a trap and we drove in the wrong direction – that cost us a lot of time. We then put our foot down again right up to the finish and activated our reserves – that was enough and showed that we can always go one better.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK