Colin-on-Cars - Toyota hangs onto Dakar lead

South African cars are leading three of the 2023 Dakar Rally’s four classes, with Nasser Al Attiayh Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s Gazoo Racing DKR T1+ leading a made in SA Hallspeed Toyota Hilux overall 1-2-3-4 to dominate the top T1+ 4x4 class. 

Brian Baragwanath

SA crew Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s SA-built Century Factory Racing CR6-T leads the T1.2 4x2s, while Daniel Schröder leads the T1.1 4x4s, alongside South African co-driver, Ryan Bland, in their PS Laser Red-Lined VK50. Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and navigator Dirk von Zitzewitz meanwhile added another Hilux stage win on Saturday.

Saturday’s 333 km stage, initially planned to be 470 km, was revised, shortened and re-routed from Riyadh to Al Duwadimi for the cars, side-by-sides and trucks. The bike and quad stage was cancelled due extreme weather conditions that included Saudi Arabia getting more rain in in the past week, than its average annual rainfall. Saturday thus became a mini marathon stage as teams met crews for a two hour service en route to the Duwadimi bivouac camp.

Four of the top five positioned cars early on Saturday were merely academic. All of Guerlain Chicherit and Vaidotas Zala’s BRX Prodrives, Audi survivor Carlos Sainz, and Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi’s Toyota GR Hilux were well down the overall order. Fifth overall, Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi, initially third on Saturday, was the leading top ten runner with sixth man Sebastien Loeb’s Hunter running sixth. There was drama when 11th overall Erik Van Loon rolled his Hilux out of the race.

Chicherit led initially, from Al Rajhi, Ekstrom, Sainz and Zala. Overall leader Al Attiyah was back in 16th, pacing himself against second overall teammates Henk Lategan. Third overall, rookie sensation Lukas Moraes and Timo Gottschalk’s Toyota sat 8th. South African crew Giniel De Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux were 12th, and under pressure from Ekstrom for fourth overall.  Century duo, Mathieu Serradori and Brian Baragwanath ran seventh and ninth.

Top three, Chicherit, Al Rajhi and Ekstrom swapped the lead through the morning. There was more drama as things went from bad to worse for Audi. Its last remaining petrol-electric top ten runner, Ekstrom ground to a halt around midday. That left Chicherit ahead of Al Rajhi, Sainz, Zala, Lategan, Serradori, Moraes, Loeb, Baragwanath and former Le Mans winner Romain Dumas’ Toyota – who is now up to sixth overall.

Giniel de Villiers

It was however Al Rajhi and navigator Dirk van Zitzewitz who emerged victorious to keep Toyota’s cup of success flowing over. Prodrive duo Zala and Chicherit completed the podium. Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy were however the spiritual winners of the day as they made great strides towards the end of the stage to bring their Hilux home fourth ahead of Baragwanath, Lategan and Serradori. Al Attiyah was 14th, losing just five minutes to teammate Lategan.

Al Attiyah thus leads Lategan by an hour and four minutes with Moraes third from de Villiers and Loeb. Dumas follows, 2 minutes clear of two wheel drive leader Baragwanath. There are now seven South African made cars in the Dakar top ten. Further back, Schröder and Bland’s PS Laser Red crossed the finish line as we closed for press, meaning that Attiyah, Baragwanath and Schröder’s South African-built cars continued to lead three of Dakar’s four car classes.

The side by sides and trucks were still in the stage at the time of writing. Martin Macik and Janus van Kasteren’s Ivecos led overall truck leader and Friday winner, Ales Loprais’ Praga. Rokas Baciuska led the T4 side by sides from Cristiano Battista and Friday winner Marek Goczal, which Rodrigo Luppi De Oliveira led from Baciuska overall.

Ales Loprais

Joao Ferreira’s Yamaha was ahead of Francisco Lopez Contardo’s Can Am and Ignacio Casale’s Can Am in the T3 prototypes. SA crews Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar GR were running in an impressive fifth and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman HBE Can Am ninth. Seth Quinteiro won Friday’s stage, while Guilaume de Mevius led Austin Jones and Quinteiro overall, with Basson ninth and Minnitt 14th.

The bikes and quads will return to action on Sunday. Husqvarna rider, American Skyler Howes leads overall from KTM men Toby Price, Kevin Benavides, and young privateer Mason Klein. Honda duo, Friday winner Adrien Van Beveren and Joan Barreda follow. Less than ten minutes separate the lot of them. 

South African FK Husqvarna privateers, Michael Docherty is 23rd overall and a close second among the rookies. Malle Moto Original no service class leader Charan Moore is 32nd. Botswana’s Ross Branch is remarkably 40th on his Hero after a truly horrible week in the saddle. SA Malle Moto duo, Stuart Gregory sits 70th and Iron Lady Kirsten Landman 79th and Dakar rookie Stevan Wilken 83rd.

Alexandre Giroud holds a 45 minute quad advantage over Moreno Flores, Pablo Copetti and Friday winner Manuel Andujar.

Sunday’s stage was planned as a 366 km run from Al Duwadimi back to Riyadh at the time of writing.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3GMqhNP

Colin-on-Cars - Disaster day for Audi

South African Toyota Hiluxes are in complete control of Dakar 2023 after a catastrophic Day 6 for the petrol-electric Audi team. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+ steamed to their third stage win of the race and their second on the trot from Sebastien Loeb’s BRX Hunter. Attiyah opened up an hour’s advantage at the head of a Toyota overall 1-2-3-4 on Friday.

Al Attiyah is in complete control

AL ATTIYAH, TOYOTA IN COMPLETE CONTROL

The race was turned on its head when both Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz crashed their second and third placed Audis heavily at the same point 212 km into the day’s stage. Peterhansel’s navigator Edouard Boulanger hurt his back, eliminating them from the race. Sainz and Lucas Cruz were left stranded in the desert as they waited for back-up to arrive.

The thrilling Dakar 2023 bike race delivered its seventh different winner in seven days when Luciano Benavides led Skyler Howes home in a Husqvarna 1-2. South African amateurs, second among the rookies Michael Docherty and new Malle Moto Original leader Charan Moore continued to star. The drama started before the day even commenced in icy 6C temperatures, when the overnight bivouac was relocated to Riyadh and the stage shortened by approximately 100 km to 358 km after extreme storms in the area.

Baragwanath back in top 6

BARAGWANATH BACK IN TOP SIX ON DAY 6

Peterhansel, Sainz, Al Attiyah, Loeb and Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi fought it out early on, before third overall, Al Rajhi hit trouble and stopped. Then the Audis went out dramatically, leaving Al Attiyah to take an easy three-and-a-half-minute victory over 9-time World Rally Champion Loeb in his Prodrive Hunter alongside co-driver Fabian Lurquin. South African crew Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings (top) placed third to make it two South African built Gazoo Racing Hiluxes on the podium.

Loeb’s BRX teammates, Guerlain Chicherit and Vaidotas Zala followed ahead of Mattias Ekstrom’s surviving Audi in sixth. SA Century Factory Racing CR6-T crews, Frenchmen Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier, and Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer were 8th and 10th with the delayed SA Hilux crew Giniel De Villiers and Dennis Murphy 24th.

Skyler Howes leads the bikes

HOWES LEADS BIKES AFTER DAY 6

That leaves Al Attiyah in a commanding lead from teammate Lategan, rookie Hilux privateer Lukas Moraes, and de Villiers. Ekstrom is a close fifth from Loeb and former Le Mans winner Romain Dumas in another Hilux. Back in the top ten, T1.2 4×2 class leader Baragwanath sits 9th overall with teammate Serradori 16th. SA navigators, Ryan Bland lies 35th alongside Daniel Schröder, and Gerhard Schutte 43rd with Tom Bell. All four of their SA Red-Lined team bakkies are still running strong , with Schroder and Bland leading the T1.1 class.

Friday’s bike race was far less complicated. Argentine Luciano Benavides became the seventh different bike winner in seven days when he led a Factory Husqvarna 1-2 over Skyler Howes and Toby Price’s KTM. Joan Barreda’s Honda was fourth from Kevin Benavides’ KTM, Pablo Quintanilla’s Honda, Daniel Sanders’ GasGas and Jose Florimo’s Honda. Flormino led Howes early on before Howes took over, only to be pipped at the post by teammate Benavides.

Man Alone. Malle Moto leader Moore

MOORE LEADS MALLE MOTO AFTER DAY 6

Botswana’s Ross branch ended 18th on his Hero. South African Michael Docherty was 28th to stay second among the rookies. His FK Husqvarna teammate and countryman Charan Moore rode in 32nd and was the second Malle Moto bike home, to move himself into an 11 minute Original class overall lead. Their compatriots were still racing, Stuart Gregory in 67th, Stevan Wilken 78th and lady heroine Kirsten Landman 87th.

Howes leads the bikes overall by three minutes. Price is third from Kevin Benavides, Barreda, van Beveren and Quintanilla. Docherty is 23rd overall, Moore 32nd and Branch 38th. Gregory sat 71st, Landman 80th and Wilken 84th. Dominant Alexandre Giroud was finally beaten by Manuel Andujar in the quads. Giroud followed ahead of Moreno Flores and Pablo Copetti.

Ross Branch hanging in there

In limbo

Still racing on Friday, Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders’s Iveco led Mitchel van den Brink’s and Martin Macik’s similar machines in the trucks. Martin van den Brink, Rijk Mouw Erik Kofman’s Iveco led overall from Thursday winner Ales Loprais’ Praga and van Kasteren. Michal led Marek Goczal and overall leader Rodrigo Luppi De Oliveira in the T4s from Rokas Baciuska.

Overall leaders and Friday winners Guilaume de Mevius and Francois Casalet’s GR led the T3prototypes from Ignacio Casale’s Yamaha and Austin Jones’s Can Am after Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz won on Friday. SA crew Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar’s GR Rally ran 12th on the road and 10th overall, while Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman were lying 31st on the stage and 18th overall.

The length and status of Saturday’s stage 7 originally slated to be the longest of Dakar 2023 remains in limbo as organisers scramble to reorganise after today’s shift to Riyadh.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3QjaARs

Colin-on-Cars - Toyota controls the desert

Nasser Al Attiyah and Mattieu Baumel powered their Gazoo Toyota Hilux to a crushing Dakar Day 5 victory on Thursday, as they consolidated their overall lead in the race. Honda duo Adrien van Beveren and Jose Cornejo came from behind to take a bike 1-2 in a test of navigation through the soft Arabian Desert sand and camel grass of a second loop around Ha’il.

South Africans Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Gazoo Hilux led Dakar legends Stéphane Peterhansel’s petrol-electric Audi, Al-Attiyah, Carlos Sainz’ Audi and Sebastien Loeb’s Prodrive Hunter with Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi in pursuit. SA crews Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century CR6-T and Giniel De Villiers and Dennis Murphy’s Gazoo Hilux ran ninth and tenth.

Brian Baragwanath

DAY 5 CARS: AL ATTIYAH IN CONTROL

There was drama when Laia Sanz and Maurizio Gerini’s Century rolled heavily. The crew emerged unscathed, but their Dakar is over. Up front, Peterhansel soon made use of Audi’s Wednesday power reprieve to move ahead of Attiyah, Sainz and Loeb as Lategan lost a little time. In a battle of the giants up front, Loeb then surged ahead, before Attiyah went back at him at two-thirds distance.

Attiyah then controlled the race from the front with the four behind swapping places regularly. Luckless Loeb however hit trouble again and lost 15 minutes to let Sainz and Peterhansel off the hook to finish second and third from home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi’s Toyota, Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq in a Prodrive Hunter, and Lategan. De Villiers ended 8th.

Daniel Schroeder

ALL FOUR RED-LINED BAKKIES RUNNING AFTER DAY 5

Baragwanath ran into trouble when they fell into a hole and had to wait for assistance late in the stage to drop to 20th, as Century teammates Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier Century came home 11th. South Africans, Ryan Bland was navigating German Daniel Schröder’s PS Laser Red-Lined Nissan in 34th and Gerhard Schutte guiding Thomas Bell in 48th at the time of writing. All four SA-built Red-Lined bakkies were still running strong.

Overall, Al Attiyah opened his car lead up to 22 minutes after Day 5, now over Peterhansel, who passed Al Rajhi for second. Sainz is third from Lategan, Toyota rookie Luca Moraes and de Villiers. Serradori is back up to 12th, but Baragwanath slipped to 20th.

Van Beveren won bikes

BIKES: HONDAS COME FROM BEHIND

Wednesday’s top three bikes struggled to open the road as Jose Cornejo’s Honda led KTM trio Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Mason Klein early on. Price moved ahead to lead Husqvarna man Skyler Howes and Klein. Botswana’s Ross Branch sat 11th ahead of overall leader Daniel Sanders (GasGas). SA rookie Michael Docherty sat 22nd and Original man Charan Moore 33rd.

Price then lost time as fifth and sixth at mid distance, Honda pair Cornejo and Adrien van Beveren moved into the picture. They were second and third early in the afternoon, before powering ahead later on. Van Beveren went on to take the day from Cornejo, KTM trio Klein, Walkner and Price, Howes and Lorenzo Santolini’s Sherco.

Michael Docherty

DOCHERTY, MOORE KEEP ON IMPRESSING

Docherty ended 28th to retain his rookie second overall. Moore in 33rd closed to within 11 seconds of no service Malle Moto leader Javi Vega after five days and 2,000km of racing. Ross Branch’s woeful Dakar continued as he lost another hour. SA’s Malle Moto riders Stuart Gregory was still riding in 80th position and Iron Lady Kirsten Landman 83rd, while Stevan Wilken sat 95th.

Alexandre Giroud dominated the quads with another stage win on Thursday over Moreno Flores and Laisvydas Kancius. Also still racing, Janus van Kasteren’s Iveco led overall leader Ales Loprais’ Praga in the trucks. Martin Macik’s Iveco took Wednesday’s win. Carlos Battista led the T4 sides by sides on Thursday, which Rodrigo Luppi De Oliveira led overall from Wednesday winner Eryk Goczal.

Seth Quinteiro led the T3 prototypes, with SA crews Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar running sixth, and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman’s HBE Can Am ninth. Overall leader Mitch Guthrie won Wednesday’s stage from rookie João Ferreira’s Yamaha, with Basson sixth, and Minnitt ninth to see Basson 10th overall and Minnitt 19th.

Friday’s stage 6 will be fast at the start, with dunes to follow. It will be the second longest Dakar 2023 stage at 467km, as crew make their way across the breadth of Saudi Arabia to Duwadimi.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3WNc7Sj

Colin-on-Cars - Loeb takes Dakar stage win

Dakar 2023 reached its quarter distance mark after a somewhat less dramatic Day 4 as the legends of the sport fought it out for car victory. Sebastien Loeb ultimately emerged victorious for the troubled Hunter team, mere seconds ahead of Stephane Peterhansel’s Audi, his teammate Carlos Sainz Sr. and Toyota Gazoo Racing SA’s overall leader, Nasser Al Attiyah.

There was also a dice throughout the motorcycle Day 4, as Joan Barreda Bort beat Honda teammate Pablo Quintanilla to the win. Daniel Sanders continues to lead the bikes overall, while South African FK Husqvarna rider Charan Moore leads the no back-up service Malle Moto Original class, and his teammate Mike Docherty is a very close second among the two wheeler rookies.

TUESDAY RESULTS CAME LATE

It took until late Tuesday evening for organisers to issue the Day 3 results following that thunderstorm curtailed stage. There was no change to the top of the car results, leaving Prodrive privateer Guerlain Chicherit to take the day from SA Toyota crew Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, and Orlando Terranova’s Prodrive Hunter. 

Nasser Al Attiyah - overall leader

In the overall results, Nasser Al Attiyah headed a Toyota 1-2 over Yazeed Al Rajhi with Stephane Peterhansel ‘s Audi third. South African Century drivers Brian Baragwanath and Mathieu Serradori sat fifth and sixth ahead of Giniel de Villiers’ Toyota in seventh. All four South African Red-Lined entries were still in the running too.

The major bike results for stage 3 did not change, bar Argentine Kevin Benavides’ KTM receiving a two minute penalty and dropping a place to third behind leader Aussie Daniel Sanders’ GasGas and KTM privateer Mason Klein. 

Joan Barreda Bort

Botswana’s Ross Branch came in 15th, SA riders, Michael Docherty was 39th after a fall, Charan Moore 40th, Stuart Gregory, Kirsten Landman 79th, and Stevan Wilken 103rd. Sunderland led Klein and Benavides overall, with Branch 10th, Rookie leader Docherty 29th and Original leader Moore 36th.

US Red Bull lads, Austin Jones and Seth Quintero were declared a T3 side-by-side prototype 1-2 from Guilaume de Mevius. That left Quintero leading de Mevius overall. SA pair Geoff Minnitt was placed 15th, Eben Basson 17th, with Basson 16th and Minnitt 27th overall. 

Brazilian Cristiano Batista scored a surprise T4 side-by side win from overall leader Marek Goczal and Rokas Bakiuska. Martin Macik’s Iveco took the truck win from Gert Huzink’s similar machine and overall leader Jaroslav Valtr’s Tatra. And Alexandre Giroud took another quad win from Moreno Flores and Juraj Verga. As Giraud led Verga and Pablo Copetti overall.

DAY 4 BATTLE OF THE GIANTS IN CARS

Wednesday’s 425 loop around Ha’il took in a bit of everything, starting in the dunes before moving onto tracks and later returning to the sand. The Dakar giants fought it out up front, as Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger’s Audi led early on from Sebastien Loeb, Al Attiyah, and Carlos Sainz Sr.

It was a tough morning for Century as Serradori and Loic Minaudier picked up a heating problem in and lost an hour before teammate Baragwanath also stopped for almost 50 minutes. Things went even worse for Prodrive, as both Orlando Terranova and Vaidotas Zala’s Hunters retired.

Stéphane Peterhansel

The other two Hunters were however in the thick of it. Loeb passed Peterhansel’s petrol electric Audi to lead at the final waypoint. Teammate Chicherit moved up to third from Sainz, but the second Hunter also hit trouble in the final sector, leaving Loeb to take the day in the team’s second stage win on the trot.

Loeb beat Peterhansel by 14 seconds, as Sainz pipped Al Attiyah for third. Al Rajhi was fifth from Lategan, Ekstrom, and Toyota Hilux trio Lucio Moraes, de Villiers and Eric van Loon. All of which means Attiyah continues to lead Al Rajhi by 18 minutes overall, with Peterhansel mere seconds behind in third from Sainz, Lategan, Moraes, de Villiers and Ekstrom.

A BIG DAY 4 BIKE DICE TOO

On the bikes, Mason Klein moved ahead of Adrien van Beveren’s Honda and left him to fight with teammates Pablo Quintanilla and Juan Barreda through to the mid-stage open section. Botswana rider Ross Branch sat in 10th behind overall leader Daniel Sanders, while Docherty was 30th and Moore 34th. 

The top four fought it out as Barreda a passed Quintanilla for the win in the dying stages. Skyler Howes, Toby Price, van Beveren, Luciano Benavides, Kevin Benavides, and Sanders followed as Klein dropped back. Docherty rode home 25th and Moore 40th. Disaster struck for Hero as Branch ran out of fuel and Sebastien Bühler suffered an engine failure.

Charan Moore

Overall, Sanders leads Howes by three and a half minutes with Kevin Benavides and Barreda Bort both within four minutes of the leader in third and fourth. Price follows from Klein, Quintanilla, and van Beveren. Docherty was provisionally 25th overall and sat a very close second among the rookies, while Moore in 33rd, still leads the Malle Moto Original Dakar no service class. Gregory was still running in 81st at the time of writing, Landman 95th, Wilken 105th and Branch 116th. 

Giroud led Flores and Laisvydas Kancius in the quads, while Lopez was ahead of Joao Ferreira and Jones, with Minnitt 15th and Basson 17th in T3. Yasir Seidan led Rodrigo De Oliveira and Battista in the T4 buggies. Alais Loprais’ Praga truck led Gert Huzink’s Renault and Martin Macik’s Praga.

A short, but tough 373 km stage of mainly sand and dunes once again around Ha’il follows on Thursday as Dakar 2023 reaches one-third mark.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3GhKtWA

Colin-on-Cars - Rain stops play in Dakar

All-South African crews, Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings’ Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux, and Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century starred on a tough Dakar Day 3.

2022 winners Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel meanwhile shook off a tough day at the office to move into the car lead in their Proudly South African Gazoo Hilux.

Hein Lategan

Lategan chased day winners Frenchmen Guerlain Chicherit Alex Winocq’s Prodrive Hunter all the way to a literal early shower. Organisers stopped the race early when a thunderstorm threatened safety, but not before Daniel Sanders had secured a dominant bike win for GasGas.

Following among the toughest opening two days many care to remember on the Dakar, Tuesday’s 447 km Day 3 run through the canyons from Ha’il to Al’ula and promised another torturous day of racing. And that it delivered. The race took its toll as the car frontrunners struggled to find the way, while Monday’s entire top ten ran outside of Tuesday’s top ten.

CARS: CHICHERIT FIGHTS LATEGAN OFF

Guerlain Chicherit

Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr’s Hilux led Chicherit and Lategan early on. Al Rajhi later dropped back to third as Lategan took the lead by passing Chicherit, who started well back on the road after Monday’s troubles. Orlando Terranova and Alex Bravo ‘s Hunter followed from Al Rajhi, whilst overall leader Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz’s petrol-electric Audi ran in fifth place early on.

SA crew, Baragwanath and steady Stéphane Peterhansel’s Audi followed. Monday’s frontrunners, winner Al-Attiyah and Giniel de Villiers’ Hiluxes, Mattias Ekstrom’s Audi, and third overnight, Mathieu Serradori‘s Century however all struggled as they opened the road. Sebastien Loeb‘s Hunter and overall leader Sainz bort lost time when both stopped to remedy car problems.

Lategan was on a mission up front as he chased leader Chicherit’s, with Terranova, Al Rajhi and Peterhansel and Baragwanath in their wake at mid distance. There were a few minor place changes, but nothing major through the afternoon. Then organisers called the race off at 377 km, when a thunderstorm prevented safety helicopters from flying.

So, Prodrive hit back from its blue Monday as Chicherit took Tuesday’s win by three minutes from South African Gazoo Toyota hero Lategan and Terranova in a Hunter 1-3. The duelling Peterhansel, Al Rajhi and Baragwanath followed, while Al Attiyah fought back to a provisional tenth to move into the overall lead, with Serradori 14th. 

Overall, Al Attiyah leads Al Rajhi by 13 minutes in a Toyota 1-2 with the ever consistent Peterhansel now looming large in third. Fourth placed Stefan Vitse and Fabien Lefebvre’s MD buggy leads the rear drive class, with Century pair Baragwanath and Seradori hot on his heels. De Villiers sits seventh from Sainz, with Lategan eleventh.

SANDERS DOMINATES THE BIKES

Daniel Sanders

Aussie Daniel Sanders’ GasGas led the bikes from the get-go from US duo, Ricky Brabec’s Honda, and Skyler Howes on a Husqvarna. South African Michael Docherty topped the R2 amateur class on his Husqvarna, as Botswana’s Ross Branch dropped down the order on his Hero. Docherty however lost time as Brach slowly fought back.  

Sanders controlled the pace from ninth on the road until Brabec crashed out of second around mid-distance. That left Sanders to win by five minutes from Kevin Benavides’ KTM and Howes. In so doing, Sanders swept into a four-minute overall bike lead over Monday leader and fourth on the day, Mason Klein’s BAS KTM, Benavides, and Howes. 

Ross Branch came home 14th, while South African Docherty struggled to 39th, but retaind his overall rookie lead. His FK Husqvarna teammate and Malle Moto Original class rider Charan Moore had a good day to end 40th to stay second overall in Original. Malle Moto compatriots, Stuart Gregory and iron lady Kirsten Landman were still in the stage in 80th and 102nd as we wrote, while Stevan Wilken sat 104th.

The other classes were also still running as we closed for press. Alexandre Giroud led Moreno Flores and Juraj Varga in the quads. Poles Marek Goczal’s Can Am took Monday’s T4 side by side win from Argentine Jeremias Gonzalez’s Can Am and Brazilian Rodrigo De Oliveira, who led compatriot Batista and Goczal as we wrote on Tuesday. 

US lad Mitch Guthrie overcame early T3 Prototype leader, Chilean Francisco Lopez, and teammate Seth Quintero to take a maiden win in Monday’s stage. South African rookies Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar ended 16th and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman 18th. Austin Jones led Quinterio on Tuesday, while Minnit sat 18th and Basson 23rd.

Czech team Ales Loprais’ Praga took Monday’s truck win from Dutch Iveco crews, Joanus van Kasteren and Martin van den Brink. Martin Macik’s Iveco however led Jaroslav Valtr’s Tatra at the time of writing on Tuesday.

Dakar is not getting any easier, either. Wednesday sees another bruising 425 km in a loop around Ha’il, starting with dunes described as ‘sheer mountains of sand’ before what organisers promise to be some ‘tricky navigation’ later in the day.

Words: Motorsport Media

https://bit.ly/3Gb85Mj

Colin-on-Cars - Dakar provides a thriller

The second day of Dakar 2023 proved a thriller with all the ingredients of an epic adventure. Both the car and bike leads changed in the final sector as defending champions Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel’s Gazoo Toyota Hilux overcame Dutchmen Erik Van Loon and Sébastien Delaunay’s similar privateer car for the closest of car victories. It was a good day all-round for SA teams Gazoo Toyota and Century Racing.

South African rookie R2 amateur biker Michael Docherty meanwhile took a sensational early motorcycle lead. Docherty ultimately took his second R2 win on the trot as US KTM lad Mason Klein benefited late leader Daniel Sanders’ GasGas slowing near the end in search of a better Tuesday starting position. Botswana rider Ross branch meanwhile ended fourth on the day on his Hero.

Michael Docherty

CARS: A GAME OF CAT & MOUSE

A glut of Sunday penalties affected the Monday car start order. WRC legend Carlos Sainz Sr. and Lucas Cruz led them away in their Audi RS Q e-Tron quattro from 9-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s Factory BRX Hunter. Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Dirk van Zitzewitz’ left the gates third in their Toyota GR Hilux DKR T1+. 

Defending champions Attiyah and Baumel set off sixth ahead of SA crew Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer in their Century CR6-T, with Toyota Gazoo compatriots Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings 10th, and Giniel De Villiers and Dennis Murphy 18th based on their final results yesterday.

Giniel de Villiers

De Villiers hit the ground running, assisted by the leaders struggling to open the narrow, rough, and rocky 430 km stage with unusually little sand and dunes. Giniel initially fought it out with French crew Lionel Baud and Remy Boulanger, as well as Erik Van Loon and Delaunay who recovered from their prologue rollover. Both Baud and Van Loo benefited the cleaned out road as they ran well down from their respective 74th and 41st starting positions in their similar privateer Toyota GR Hilux DKR T1+s. 

The Toyotas of Al-Attiyah and Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr, and Polish crew Martin Prokop and Viktor Chytk in a Ford Raptor, also benefiting starting 20th, joined the top three in their wide-spread battle. Behind them Simon Vitse and Fred Lefebvre’s MD buggy held the two wheel drive advantage over Frenchmen Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier Factory Century, as teammate Baragwanath lost 20 minutes on the road when he stopped to cool a hot engine.

Sunday’s frontrunners struggled early on, with Attiyah initially running in seventh, Sainz ninth, Audi teammate Mattias Ekstrom 13th, Lategan 18th, Seb Loeb’s BRX Hunter 23rd and Stéphane Peterhansel’s Audi in 24th.  Guerlain Chicherit was even worse off, stuck in the desert with no more spare wheels for his BRX Hunter, a fate which later also befell Loeb. The BRX troubles seemed to be caused by the team running tyre pressures too high in an effort to avoid punctures. Attiyah and Sainz however picked up the pace as the day progressed.

The second highest altitude of all the stages also allegedly saw the rear wheel drive turbo cars struggling against the 4x4 turbo cars as a result of slightly different turbo regulations between the two classes. That did not prevent a splendid dice between Serradori and Vitse, which saw Serradori stealing the lead from Vitse at the very end to take the 2WD win in his SA-built Century. 

Erik van Loon

The fat lady had however not yet sung, with all eyes on Van Loon chasing his first Dakar day win leading through the final control and Baud still in the thick of it. Had van Loon done enough to stave off the charging Al Attiyah? Alas no, as the Dutch crew missed out by a handful of seconds in the end. 

Nasser’s factory car pipped van Loon’s similar privateer Toyota to a classic Hilux 1-2. Sunday winner Carlos Sainz ended third on Monday to maintain the overall lead. With Serradori fourth from Baud, de Villiers, Prokop. Baragwanath clawed back to a provisional tenth, Lategan was provisionally 16th. Expect penalties to change the day’s order. 

Overall, Sainz leads Al Attiyah by two minutes, with Serradori third, 24 minutes off the pace and Vitse and de Villiers close behind. Baragwanath lies seventh from Prokop. Peterhansel and Lategan. That’s six South African cars and three teams in the top ten, albeit subject to penalties to be applied.

DOCHERTY, BRANCH STAR ON TWO WHEELS

Once all of Sunday’s penalties were applied, it was Californian Ricky Brabec’s Honda that led the bikes away ahead of KTM duo Kevin Benavides and Toby Price. Botswana’s Ross Branch was looking for a better day on his Hero from 12th as South African FK Husqvarna duo Michael Docherty led the R2 class away, and Charan Moore was the first Malle Moto Original machine to set off. He picked up the no-service bike class win yesterday after rival Joan Garcia also incurred a penalty.

Damp conditions however caused a few surprises as rookie leader Docherty emerged a shock leader early on from Spaniard Sachedina and Hero duo Sebastien Bühler and Joaquim Rodrigues, and Daniel Sanders’ GasGas. Clear tracks seemed to help the bikes further back in maintaining a higher pace.

Sanders moved up to second and slowly closed on Docherty, passing the South African at mid distance. KTM man Toby Price loomed large in third ahead of Botswana rider Ross Branch on his Hero as yesterday’s winner Ricky Brabec struggled with his Honda. BAS KTM privateer Mason Klein and Husqvarna factory rider Skyler Howes were enjoying good run later in the day, Docherty had an issue in the penultimate sector, slipping to tenth, but maintaining a strong amateur R2 lead.

Ross Branch

It was Klein who emerged ahead at the finish to take the day in dramatic style, despite a two minute penalty. Sanders admitted to deliberately slowing in the final sector in an effort to avoid starting first on Tuesday. He slowed by over five minutes and finished ninth, which left Bühler second, Howes third and Branch in fourth, whilst Price rounded out the top five. Docherty ultimately rode home thirteenth to take his second R2 stage win on the trot. Klein moved into the overall lead with his win, leading Price, Barreda, Benavides, and Sanders, all within three minutes. Branch sits 12th and rookie winner Docherty is provisionally 19th overall.

Of the other South African bikers, R2 Malle Moto Original class rider Charan Moore had a solid day to 37th and second in the no service category on his FK Husqvarna. South African Malle Moto rider, Stuart Gregory was still running in 90th, iron lady Kirsten Landman sat 105th, and Stevan Wilken was sitting 123rd overall as we wrote.

In the quads, Frenchman Alexandre Giroud took a second win on the trot after a close dice with Argentine Manuel Andujar, who lost seven minutes in the final sector. That saw him to slip to fourth behind American veteran Pablo Copetti and Argentine Moreno Flores.

For the rest, the side by sides and trucks were still racing as we wrote. Poles Eryk Goczal and Oriol Menia won Sunday’s T4 production side-by-side race in their Can Am, from Pau Navarro and Michael Metge, and Michal Goczal and Szymon Gospodarczyk. Goczal led again at mid race on Monday, from Argentine Jermais Gonzalez and Pedro Rinaldi, and Brazilian Rodrigo Luppi De Oliveira and Maykel Justo’s Can Ams.

Chilean Francisco Lopez and JP Latrach’s Can Am took Sunday’s T3 side by side prototypes from Guilaume de Mevius and Francois Casalet’s GR and US lad Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz SA rookie crew Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar were 25th in their GR Rally and Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman’s Can Am 39th. Lopez led Monday’s stage at mid distance from US Can Am lads, Austin Jones and Gustavo Gugelmin  and Mitch Guthrie and Kellon Walch, with Basson 17th and Minnitt 27th.

Czech team Martin Macik, Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda’s Iveco took Sunday’s truck race  from countrymen Ales Loprais, Petr Pokora and Jaroslav Valr’s Praga and Dutch Iveco men Mitchel van den Brink, Jarno van de Pol and Moises Torrallardona. It was all change, a third of the way on Monday as Dutch trio Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders’s Iveco led the Loprais Praga, and Martin van den Brink, Rijk Mouw Erik Kofman’s Iveco at a third distance.

Tuesday sees an even longer 446 kilometre run through several canyons from Al’Ula to Ha’Il.

Words: Motorsport Media

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Colin-on-Cars - First Dakar stage provides drama

Dakar 2023 got off to a bruising start as Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz’ Audi RS Q e-tron quattro won the 367 km opening car stage and Daniel Sanders’ GasGas won the bike race. 

South African rider Michael Docherty took amateur bike honours on his Husqvarna, but dropped to third on a penalty, while all-SA car entry Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century CR6-T was the first 2-wheel drive car home in sixth overall. It was a day of attrition and penalties however, with several top competitors cruelly retiring. From the race and many forfeiting positions to mistakes.

Brian Baragwanath/Leonard Cremer - first rear-drive vehicle home

Prologue winners Mattias Ekstrom and Emil Bergkvist hit the ground running to lead the way among the cars early on aboard their petrol-electric Audi. They led Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel‘s Toyota Gazoo Hilux and Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winocq’s Prodrive Hunter. Ekstrom still led by mid distance, but Sebastien Loeb and Fabian Lurquin’s Factory Hunter was up to second from flying South Africans Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer’s Century CR6-T.

Ekstrom maintained a reduced minute lead over Loeb at three-quarter distance, with Chicherit fourth from Sainz, Al-Attiyah and Baragwanath. Saudi home hero Yazeed Al Rajhi and Michael Orr’s GR Hilux followed ahead of Orlando Terranova and Alex Bravo’s Factory Hunter Stéphane Peterhansel and Edouard Boulanger’s Audi. South African Gazoo Hilux crews Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings and Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy followed.

Carlos Sainz

It was all change by the finish line, 100 km anon, however. Sainz made the best of a technical final sector to jump into the lead to take the day by 23 seconds over Loeb. Loeb also got the better of Ekstrom to slot his Hunter between the two hybrid Audis, with Chicherit fourth in his private Hunter. 

Al Rajhi also benefited a fine final section to lead the Toyotas home ahead of a delighted Baragwanath in sixth. Terranova’s Hunter ended seventh from Al Attiyah in the first of the factory Gazoo Toyotas, Pole Jakub Przygonski and Armand Monleon’s X-Raid Mini and Peterhansel provisionally came home tenth. 

Penalties for Chicherit, Al Attiyah and Baragwanath however reshuffled the order. That saw Al Rajhi up to fourth from Chicherit, Terranova, Al Attiyah and Baragwanath in 8th.

Of South African interest, Lategan followed in eleventh with de Villiers provisionally 16th. Century crews Frenchmen Mathieu Serradori and Loic Minaudier’s Factory CR6-T and lady racer Laia Sanz and Fabrizio Gerini’s Astara CR6 were classified 17th and 24th at the time of writing. SA navigators Gerhard Schutte was guiding Tom Bell in 54th and Ryan Bland 57th alongside Daniel Schroder among the Red-Lined entries.

Hein Lategan

It was a bittersweet opening day for 2022 bike winners GasGas and for the South African R2 motorcycle riders. Defending champion, Briton Sam Sunderland crashed out of the lead early in the day. Former winner, Aussie Daniel Sanders however made good by winning the day on his Factory GasGas. 

Sanders was however handed a 2 minute penalty to drop to fifth behind Californian Ricky Brabec’s Factory Honda, Factory KTM duo Toby Price and Argentine Kevin Benavides. Spaniard Joan Barreda’s Honda also took a minute penalty to drop to fourth from second on the road. 

Ricky Brabec

Sanders was fifth in a day of penalties, ahead of one of the heroes of the day, US youngster Mason Klein, who led most of the way on his BAS KTM. Chilean Pablo Quintanilla dropped from third to seventh on a 2 minute penalty, ahead  of Adrien van Beveren’s Honda, Skyler Howes’ Husqvarna, and Hero rider Joaquim Rodriguez on tenth.

It was a similar story in the amateur R2 class, where South African youngster Bradley Cox led the way early on before crashing his BAS KTM out off a broken dune and injuring his arm. That left fellow South African Michael Docherty to race on to the R2 win as he finished 17th on his FK Husqvarna, while Cox and Sunderland were casevacced to hospital. 

Docherty was however handed a 15 minute penalty to drop to 26th overall and third in R2. Of the Southern African two-wheeler contingent, Botswana’s Kalahari Ferrari Ross Branch ended 14th on his Factory Hero. Charan Moore rode in 15th among the R2 bikes and second in the Malle Moto no service class after a tough day in the saddle.

Stuart Gregory finished a provisional 38th, lady heroine Kirsten Landman 63rd, and Stevan Wilken was 74th, all those results of course provisional. Argentinians Manuel Andujar and Moreno Flores meanwhile rode home first and third in the quads with Frenchman Alexandre Giroud second.

Elsewhere, Chilean Francisco Lopez Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre’s Red Bull Can Am led the T3 side-by-side prototypes from US Junior teammates Austin Jones and Gustavo Gugelmin, and Seth Quintero and Dennis Zenz. South Africans Geoff Minnitt and Gerhard Snyman were still racing in 21st in their HBE Can Am whilst rookie crew Eben Basson and Abertus Pienaar ran 36th in their GR Rally.

Chileans Francisco Lopez Contardo and Juan Pablo Latrach Vinagre in their Red Bull Can Am led the T4 side by sides from Poles Eryk Goczal and Oriol Mena. Marek Goczal and Maciej Marton came home in 3rd ahead of Pau Navarro and Michel Metge in fourth. Mozambican crew Paulo Oliveira and Miguel Alberty Can Am sat 38th.

In the trucks, Czech team Martin Macik, Frantisek Tomasek and David Svanda’s Iveco led the similar machine of Martin van den Brink, Jan van de Pol and Manuel Torrallardona. Martin Soltys, Roman Krejci and David Hoffmann in their Tatra rounded up third.

Monday’s Day 2 brings a challenging 430 km of racing from the Sea Camp across to Alula. The day starts on fast tracks before hitting the dunes later in the stage.

Words: Motorsport Media

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Colin-on-Cars - Cat and mouse in the desert

South African men and machines starred as Dakar Rally 2023 got under way with a short 13 kilometre prologue along Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea beach at the event’s Sea Park start base on Saturday.

Traditionally seen as a game of Cat & Mouse, many consider Dakar’s Prologue results as merely academic. Faster crews may play for a better road position in Sunday’s opening stage, while others just go for broke in search of an easy stage result.

2022 winners, Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel opened the road in their Toyota Gazoo Racing Hilux DKR T1+. They were however pipped by second crew out, 9-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb chasing that elusive Dakar win alongside Fabian Lurquin in their factory Prodrive Hunter.

It took a while for the rest of the big guns to filter through, but 14th away, Frenchmen  Stéphane Peterhansel and Eric Boulanger slotted their petrol-electric Audi RS Q e-tron between Loeb and Attiyah. Four cars later, Mattias Ekstrom and Erik Bergkvist’s Audi then put a second on Loeb to take the win and claim pole position for Dakar 2023.

By the time the dust had settled, it was Ekstrom who topped the car Prologue from Loeb, Peterhansel, and Al Attiyah. Dakar veteran Guerlain Chicherit ended fourth in his Prodrive Hunter from Carlos Sainz’ third Audi, Saudi home hero Yazeed al Rajhi’s Toyota Hilux and Jakub Przygonski in the quickest of the Minis.

Of the South Africans, the Gazoo Toyotas of young guns Henk Lategan and Brett Cummings, and Dakar hero Giniel de Villiers and Dennis Murphy will start Dakar 2023 10th and 12th , respectively. Quickest two wheel drive car on the day, Brian Baragwanath and Leonard Cremer will provisionally set off 15th in the all-new biturbo V6 Century CR6-T on Sunday. They came home 32 seconds off Ekstrom’s pace.

South Africans also starred in the Motorcycle Prologue. Australian duo Toby Price was quickest overall  for KTM from Daniel Sanders’ GasGas, and Botswana Hero rider Ross Branch. Joan Barreda’s Honda, Kevin Benavides’ KTM and Joaquim Rodriguez’ Hero followed. 

SA riders however owned the R2 bike class with first, second and fourth in the amateur rankings. Sand specialist Dakar rookie Michael Docherty piloted his HT Husqvarna to a 9 second R2 win over teammate and Malle Moto Original leader Charan Moore, with Bradley Cox fourth on his BAS KTM. Docherty placed ninth overall, Moore 16th and Cox 26th.

SA rider Stevan Wilken came home 41st in R2 on his HT Husqvarna, while Malle Moto duo, Stuart Gregory ended 76th and iron lady Kirsten Landman 79th among the amateur bikers. Dakar’s Malle Moto Original class sees riders riding without any support and servicing their own machines, pitching their tents, and racing Dakar solo throughout.

Opening the road in the morning, Alexandre Giroud took a one second quad victory over Brazilian Marcello Medeiros and Spanish rookie Daniel Vaques. The Side by Sides and Trucks were still racing at the time of writing.

Sunday’s real opening 367 Stage 1 should start to sort the men from the boys. Dakar 2023 will race 5,000 km through the Arabian Desert to 15 January. The real action Starts Sunday. Watch this space!

Words: www.motorsportmedia.co.za

https://bit.ly/3C9BXaD

Colin-on-Cars - What UK drivers think

Polling the views of more than 6 000 cars owners, the 2022 Honest John Satisfaction Index in the United Kingdom places Lexus at the top of the pile as the UK’s most satisfying car brand.

Each year HonestJohn.co.uk readers are asked to rate their car in a number of important areas including fuel economy, reliability, practicality and safety, as well as the car’s performance and how comfortable and easy it is to drive.

Lexus topped the reliability category and performed well across the board with an overall satisfaction rating of 92,37%, beating last year’s winner Dacia to the top spot (92,16%), with Tesla a fraction behind (92,12%).

Porsche (90,91%) and Jaguar (90,53 %) complete the top five of this year's index.

Most satisfying

The Hyundai Tucson is the highest rated car in the 2022 Satisfaction Index, with a score of 96,64%.

Available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric car, it was praised for its performance, ease to drive, and reliability, backed by Hyundai’s five-year warranty. 

Worst for owner satisfaction was the Mercedes-Benz GLC Class (2015-2022 model), singled out for its high repair costs and poor fuel economy, receiving an overall rating of 80,98%.

It was followed by the Toyota RAV4 (2013-2019 model) in second place with 85,07% and the Ford Fiesta (2013-2017 model) in third with 85,62%.

Lexus is the best car brand for reliability for the fourth year running, with an average score of 9,89 out of 10.

Suzuki takes second place (9,75), with Subaru finishing third with an average score of 9,72. 

At the other end of the reliability table, Land Rover receives the lowest average rating - a disappointing 8,93 and, while, Peugeot also scored 8,93 out of 10, takes second spot by the smallest of a fraction. Fiat completes the bottom three with an average of 8,94. 

The Lexus NX (2014-2021) is the UK's most reliable car with an outstanding average of 9,98. The Hyundai Tucson is ranked second with an impressive 9,96, followed by the Kia XCeed (9,96).

The Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (2015-2022) languishes at the bottom of the reliability rankings with an average score of 8,52, followed by the Peugeot 3008, which scored 6,61 out of 10 and the Ford Kuga, which scored 8,70.

Images: HonestJohn

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Colin-on-Cars - Ready to race

With the prologue for the world’s toughest rally-raid race just five days away, the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Dakar Team has assembled its three GR DKR Hilux T1+ race cars at the Sea Camp, north of the Saudi Arabian town of Yanbu.

The next order of business is a thorough shakedown to confirm that everything works as expected, before attending to the final checks and administration for Dakar 2023.

The 11 km prologue for the race, which is used to determine the starting orders for the first stage, will get the action under way during the afternoon of 31 December 2022, before the race itself kicks off on New Year’s Day 2023. Fourteen competitive stages will follow, with a Rest Day following Stage 8.

For TGR, the 2023 Dakar Rally will offer an opportunity to defend the crown it won, when Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah and French co-driver, Mathieu Baumel, brought the mighty GR DKR Hilux T1+ home in first place at the end of the 2022 edition of the race. This was Nasser and Mathieu’s second victory for the team, and they will be aiming for a repeat performance early in the new year.

Teammate Giniel de Villiers, from South Africa, has one of the best Dakar records in history, having competed in twenty Dakars to date. He won the race in 2009, and has been on the podium seven additional times. He has only finished outside the Top 10 once in twenty races, and will be aiming for another solid result, again with co-driver Dennis Murphy, also from South Africa, beside him.

For the South African pairing of Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings, their first two Dakar Rallies together proved learning experiences. In their first outing, in 2021, the pair crashed heavily during Stage 5 of the rally, resulting in a broken collarbone for Lategan. In 2022 they bounced back, driving at a more manageable pace that saw them take two stage victories, though their 31st place finish belied the pace of the young pairing.

Dakar 2023 promises to be one of the toughest yet, consisting of 14 stages rather than the dozen that has become the norm over the last few editions of the race. Not only that, but the route also ventures further into the so-called Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia than ever before. Add to that the Rest Day, which comes well after the mid-point of the race, as well as the removal of mid-stage rest-and-refuel points, and it is clear that the upcoming rally will be tough.

With that said, the GR DKR Hilux T1+ has seen constant improvement since the last Dakar, winning the inaugural W2RC in the hands of Nasser and Mathieu, and taking Giniel to yet another title in the South African Rally-Raid Championship, which serves as one of the test series for the team. With refinements to the car’s quality, reliability and durability, the team is confident that it has built an even better car than the one that won the race in 2022.

The route for the upcoming Dakar Rally starts at the so-called Sea Camp, on the North-Western coastline of Saudi Arabia. Both the Prologue and Stage 1 will be staged from here, before Stage 2 takes the rally towards the stunning rocks and canyons around Alula. Next up is Stage 3 towards Ha’il, where the bivouac will remain in place for three days before shifting to Al Duwadimi for two days. Stage 8 will see the rally reach the Saudi capital of Riyadh, for a much-needed Rest Day.

From here, the route continues in an Eastward direction towards Haradh, before shifting into the Empty Quarter for the final few days of the event. This year’s Marathon Stage – where the crews race away from the bivouac to an unsupported camp in the desert, before racing back the following day – will take place near the end of the race, and may well change the outcome of the event.

The final stages of the race will take the crews from Shaybah to Al-Hofuf, and on to the city of Dammam, on the Arabian Gulf. While the closing three stages of the rally all feature distances under 200km, the organisers have cautioned that these stages may well prove the toughest of the event, and that competitors should not take them lightly based purely on their relatively short distances.

Dakar 2023 is scheduled to finish on January 15, in the city of Dammam. This will be the Dakar’s first visit to the city, and also the first time that the race spans across the entire Saudi Arabian landscape from coast to coast.

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