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...
Yazeed and the speed: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk new “Dakar” runners-up with stage win
Further contributions
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...
Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk go into the second “Dakar” week in second place overall
Clever management after the previous day's stage win: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk fifth on the last stage before the rest day Second position in the overall standings secured: Saudi Arabian-Brandenburg duo cushions the disadvantage of the route opening Stage...
Shorter, but crisp: Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk remain in the leading group at the Dakar Rally
Fifth day of the rally, third stage: Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk lose time in the Dakar Rally due to tricky navigation and stony surfaces Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk remain within striking distance of the overall leaders in fourth place, gap widens to 11:45 minutes...
- Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk take advantage of the late start and reduce the gap at the Dakar Rally to around seven minutes
- Stage from Al-Henakiyah to al-‘Ula forms the first part of a so-called marathon stage
- Be careful, but at speed: stony ground requires clever driving and keen navigation skills
al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia (January 8, 2025) – Take care of your equipment: yes, of course. And distancing yourselves from the world elite of cross-country rallying: yes, please! Yazeed Al-Rajhi and Timo Gottschalk have won the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally and thus reclaimed second place in the overall standings. On the way from Al-Henakiyah to al-‘Ula, they managed to square the circle, which can only be solved mathematically in the “Dakar”. The Saudi-Arabian-Brandenburg duo benefited from their late start as the 18th team and from the experience gained the day before in the volcanic and rocky terrain. Right from the start of the 415-kilometre special stage, they took the lead in the time table and took more and more time off the overall leaders Henk Lategan/Brett Cummings (RSA/RSA) despite three punctures. They are now 6:54 minutes behind in the overall standings. Lategan/Cummings, like Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk, start with a Toyota Hilux. Mattias Ekström/Emil Bergkvist (SWE/SWE, Ford) are now third overall – their gap to Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk is around 15 minutes after part one of the marathon stage. After an intense and dramatic start to the 2025 Dakar Rally, the focus today turned to the marathon stage, where the emphasis is on housekeeping and endurance. The route began on volcanic terrain and led over winding tracks along the breathtaking canyons of al-‘Ula. The special stage ended directly at the marathon bivouac, where tonight service is only allowed by the participants themselves.
The engineer is himself
During the marathon stage, Timo Gottschalk can also use his skills as a navigator once the work is done. The Brandenburg native is not only an automotive engineer by trade, his business also includes a car and motorcycle workshop in his home town of Rheinsberg. He was already called upon on the second stage, the now dreaded 48-hour stage: in the evening, he sealed a small leak in the oil pan and replaced the belt on one of the alternators. With success: they crossed the finish line in first place on the 48-hour stage, and Al-Rajhi/Gottschalk were subsequently classified as second due to a time credit for a team colleague.
QUOTES
“This year, the organizers have chosen extremely tough stages like this one. An enormous number of stones, extremely wild terrain – we were spot on today with our 18th starting position and were able to set a safe pace without having to take any major risks. All in all, we had three punctures and finished on the rim. Nevertheless: victory on the day! We are satisfied.”
YAZEED AL-RAJHI
“An extremely tough stage. Extremely hard, extremely long. I only managed to drink three times because I had to make so many announcements. At the beginning, Yazeed found a top pace: safe and fast. In the last part, there were a lot of stones hidden in the sand in the canyons, so we had three punctures and ended up winning the stage on the rim. Now we’ll look after the car, change the tires and hope for a calmer day tomorrow.”
TIMO GOTTSCHALK