DOHA: Saudi Arabia’s first Dakar Rally winner Yazheed Al-Rajhi will attempt to defend his title when the two-week endurance classic gets underway on Saturday, with Toyota rival Henk Lategan forecasting the closest contest yet.
The world’s toughest off-road rally, run entirely in Saudi Arabia for a seventh straight year, spans 13 stages and around 8,000 kilometres. It begins with a short prologue near Yanbu on the Red Sea coast, followed by a 305km special stage on Sunday.
Five-times champion Nasser Al-Attiyah leads a star-studded Dacia Sandriders line-up that includes nine-times world rally champion Sebastien Loeb, Brazil’s W2RC title-holder Lucas Moraes and Spain’s Cristina Gutierrez. Loeb, still chasing a first Dakar victory at his 10th attempt, is partnered this time by Al-Attiyah’s former co-driver Edouard Boulanger.
Drivers will face towering dunes, canyons and vast desert expanses, with stage six the longest at 920km. Toyota, winners of three of the last four Dakars in the top T1+ category, face stiff competition from Ford and Dacia in the opening round of the World Rally-Raid Championship season.
Veterans Carlos Sainz, Nani Roma and Mattias Ekstroem spearhead Ford’s challenge, while record 14-time winner Stephane Peterhansel returns with Defender in the Stock category.
Al-Rajhi, who broke two vertebrae in an accident last April, is expected to adopt a cautious early approach as the Dakar once again tests endurance and survival.
